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Recipe: Slow-Cooked Borlotti Bean Chilli (A Veganuary Recipe – Batch Cooking for the Freezer)

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Slow-Cooked Borlotti Bean Chilli

Veganuary-heartHappy New Year… and happy Veganuary!  Whether or not you’re taking part and going vegan for January, this smoky and spicy Borlotti Bean Chilli is ideal for making in a huge batch on a rainy Saturday afternoon, then bagging up and freezing for weekday suppers throughout the month.  Chilli is a brilliantly versatile dish to have a stash of in the freezer – you can enjoy it in tortilla wraps, tacos, with rice, in a jacket potato, or even as a pasta sauce. 

I don’t have a slow-cooker so just cooked this on a low heat on the hob for a couple of hours, but I’ve included instructions below the recipe for making this in a slow-cooker, if you were lucky enough to get one for Christmas!

And if you’re in need of Veganuary recipe inspiration, don’t forget that I’m Instagramming and Tweeting my dinner every day, (usually with brief instructions as to how to re-create it!), so follow me for some daily ideas!   Instagram and Twitter

Slow-Cooked Borlotti Bean Chilli

Vegan

Slow-Cooked Borlotti Bean Chilli
Print
Slow-Cooked Borlotti Bean Chilli
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
 
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 portions
Author: Kate Ford | The Veg Space
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
  • 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
  • small bunch fresh coriander - stalks finely chopped and leaves separated and roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped (remove the seeds for a milder flavour!)
  • 2 tsp of each of the following spices: ground cumin, chilli powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, (don't worry if you're missing one or two, this will still taste great!)
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
  • 200 g puy lentils, rinsed
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 tbsp marmite
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan or casserole dish, heat the oil and add the onion, leek, pepper, coriander stalks, garlic, chilli and spices. Fry gently for 4-5 minutes, adding a little water if the mixture becomes too dry.
  2. Add the tomatoes, then refill the empty tin with water, tip this into the pan, re-fill it again to half-way and add this too. Tip in the borlotti beans, lentils, stock cube and marmite, then bring to the boil.
  3. Turn down to a low heat, cover and cook for 1.5 - 2 hours until the lentils are tender and sauce has thickened. You may need to remove the lid for 10-15 minutes if there is too much liquid, or else add a little water if it is too thick/dry. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
  4. Stir through the coriander leaves just before serving - perhaps with rice, tortilla wraps, guacamole or fresh avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, finely chopped spring onions, or a dollop of soya or coconut yoghurt.

To make in a slow-cooker:

Complete step 1. above in a frying pan, then tip into your slow cooker along with all the remaining ingredients.  Cook on medium for at least 2 hours, (or longer at a lower heat is even better – you can’t over-cook this!).

To freeze:

Divide into individual portions and label the bags clearly.  I make half the portions ‘large’ (ie. a dinner in itself alongside some rice), and half ‘small’ (ie. to fill a jacket potato for lunch, or a toddler-sized portion – if I make a batch with less chilli and salt!).  To serve, just remove from the freezer in the morning and thaw in the fridge, then heat in a microwave or saucepan until piping hot throughout.

Slow-Cooked Borlotti Bean ChilliIf you liked this, you might also like to take a look at:

What are you cooking for Veganuary? Don’t forget to check out my Vegan Recipe Index, or follow for more ideas on Instagram and Twitter!
I’m linking this recipe with a few blogging challenges as follows:

About Kate Ford

Hi, I'm Kate. The Veg Space is a food blog packed with easy vegan comfort food recipes. Click on About Me to find out more or Recipes to get cooking!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. lisa says

    Oh My Wow this looks awesome!!! IO have played around with some veggie chillis in the past but this looks fantastic. I also used leek in a spaghetti bolognaise recently and much preferred it, it adds a fab taste. Will be trying this for sure x

    Reply

  2. Corina says

    This sounds beautiful! I love trying different beans and could eat different versions of chilli every day if I had to and it’s perfect for batch cooking too. Thank you so much for linking up with #CookOnceEatTwice.

    Reply

    • thevegspace says

      Thanks Janice – I don’t have a slow-cooker so don’t cook this sort of thing often, but now seriously tempted to get one having seen so many gorgeous slow-cooker recipes around recently!

      Reply

    • thevegspace says

      Thanks Helen. Yes it’s very satisfying to stock up the freezer with meals for another day, (on the rare occasions I get round to it!)

      Reply

    • thevegspace says

      Thanks Laura – yes I’m really tempted by a slow-cooker too… but running out of kitchen cupboard space fast!!

      Reply

    • thevegspace says

      Thanks Isabella! Yes my new year’s resolution is to stock up the freezer with lovely things so I don’t resort to pasta and a jar of sauce when I don’t have time to cook!

      Reply

  19. pauline says

    Came across your website today & the chilli sounds really nice, is there an alternative to marmite as I am not a big fan of the stuff

    Reply

  20. Sarah Hoang says

    It looks so amazing and different from my chilli. A good combination for beans and chilli. I’ll try next time for my father. He is a vegetarian. Thanks for your tips.

    Reply

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