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    Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Main Courses » Smoky 3 Bean Chilli

    Smoky 3 Bean Chilli

    Published: May 4, 2022 by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.

    3 Bean Chilli
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO
    Pinterest pin with 3 Bean Chilli

    A rich and smoky 3 bean chilli that combines borlotti, cannellini and kidney beans with spices, chilli and a hint of cocoa for a sensational sauce.

    🍴 Why you will love this recipe

    This deliciously spicy and smoky bean chilli is so versatile - perfect served with rice, in fajitas, as a jacket potato filling or on its own as a speedy lunch. Beans are so nutritious, packed with protein and fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are also very cheap, and so easy to use if you buy them pre-cooked in tins.

    I've used a blend of deep and smoky spices in the recipe, alongside a hint of cocoa for a deep richness, (but not too chocolate-y, I promise!).

    This 3 bean chilli is very easy to make, and freezes well so you can make a big batch and freeze in individual portions.

    Jump to:
    • 🍴 Why you will love this recipe
    • 📝 What you need
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your 3 Bean Chilli
    • 🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
    • 🍽 If you liked that...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments and Reviews
    Ingredients for 3 Bean Chilli

    📝 What you need

    Ingredients

    Tinned beans I used borlotti, cannellini and kidney beans which are my favourites in a rich and smoky chilli like this, but by all means use whatever tinned beans you have to hand or swap in a tin of lentils instead. Or you can soak and pre-cook dried beans - here's a useful article from Delicious magazine on how to soak and cook beans.

    Passata makes a smooth and thick sauce for this chilli. You can swap in tinned chopped tomatoes instead if you prefer.

    Stock cube I love the meat-free beef-flavour OXO cubes for a rich chilli like this

    Spices really make a difference between a tomato stew and a rich, smoky chilli. I've used ground cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder and dried oregano but you can tweak these to your own taste or according to what you have in the cupboard.

    Cocoa is my secret ingredient for a really sensational sauce - it doesn't taste chocolate-y, but just incredibly deep and rich. The trick is to use just enough to add that wow-factor, but not enough to turn the sauce into chocolate soup!

    👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your 3 Bean Chilli

    For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼 .

    slice onions and peppers

    Peel and slice the red onion and pepper. Fry gently with crushed garlic cloves.

    add beans and simmer

    Add the red chilli, cumin, smoked paprika and chilli powder and cook for a further minute. Drain and rinse the three tins of beans and add to the pan.

    simmer until thick

    Add the passata then refill the bottle / carton half way with water and add to the pan. Add the stock cube, oregano, cocoa powder and brown sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes then serve.

    vegan three Bean Chilli

    🔪 Top Tips & FAQs

    Adjust the spices to your taste - you can leave out the fresh chilli and halve the chilli powder for a milder chilli, or add extra for more punch!

    Adjust the consistency towards the end of cooking time - if the sauce is too dry add a splash of water, and if it is still too runny keep bubbling for another few minutes.

    Can I freeze my 3 bean chilli?

    Yes - this freezes really well so you can batch-cook it and freeze individual portions in airtight containers or bags. Sometimes spices and seasoning become slightly dulled in freezing and defrosting, so taste and adjust before serving.

    How long will the chilli keep in the fridge?

    As long as the chilli is kept in airtight containers it will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. In fact I think it gets better after a day in the fridge for the flavours to mellow and develop, so this is great for leftover lunches!

    🍽 If you liked that...

    .... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:

    • Chilli with Baked Beans
      Quick Chilli with Baked Beans
    • Black Bean Chilli
      Black Bean Chilli with Chipotle Paste
    • Vegan Ice Lollies
      Homemade Vegan Ice Lollies
    • lentil ragu
      Rich Lentil Ragù with red wine

    Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.

    📖 Recipe

    3 Bean Chilli

    Smoky 3 Bean Chilli

    Kate Ford | The Veg Space
    A rich and smoky 3 bean chilli that combines borlotti, cannellini and kidney beans with spices, chilli and a hint of cocoa for a sensational sauce.
    4.95 from 17 votes
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 333 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 large red onion
    • 1 red pepper
    • 3 cloves garlic or 2 teaspoon ready-chopped garlic / garlic purée
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 red chilli
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon chilli powder (or ½ teaspoon for a milder chilli)
    • 400 g tin borlotti beans
    • 400 g tin cannellini beans
    • 400 g tin kidney beans
    • 600 g passata
    • 1 stock cube I like the meat-free beef flavour OXO cubes, but any vegetable stock cube will be fine.
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar light brown or demerara sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Peel and finely slice the onion. De-seed and slice the pepper. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
    • Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole dish. Fry the onion, pepper and garlic over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
    • De-seed and chop the chilli. Add to the pan along with the cumin, paprika and chilli powder. Cook for a further minute or two.
    • Drain and rinse the three tins of beans and add them to the pan. Add the passata, then refill the bottle / carton half way with water (approx. 300ml water) and add to the pan.
    • Stir in the stock cube, oregano, cocoa powder and brown sugar, then season well with salt and black pepper.
    • Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until the chilli has become a thick stew. Taste and adjust seasoning then serve.

    Video

    Notes

    Adjust the spices to your taste - you can leave out the fresh chilli and halve the chilli powder for a milder chilli, or add extra for more punch!
    Adjust the consistency towards the end of cooking time - if the sauce is too dry add a splash of water, and if it is still too runny keep bubbling for another few minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1portionCalories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 15gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 666mgPotassium: 1465mgFiber: 15gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 2220IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 7mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
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    Vegan in 15 by Kate Ford

    For more quick and easy vegan recipes take a look at my latest book Vegan in 15.

    "Brilliant! Chock full of easy recipes and great tips and advice"  Hello! Magazine

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    « Brinjal Bhaji (Aubergine Bhaji)
    Celeriac Steak »

    About Kate Ford

    Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      June 05, 2024 at 6:37 pm

      Made this as our daughter is trying to go vegetarian and chilli is a favourite in our house. We all loved it, but I did add a bit more chilli and smoked paprika to give it a bit more flavour. Can I freeze the leftovers?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        June 09, 2024 at 3:49 pm

        Hi Sarah, that's great to hear - yes absolutely, the leftovers will freeze really well.

        Reply
    2. Ben Davies says

      May 28, 2024 at 11:59 am

      I got this going before starting my day's work (at home) as the preparation is simple. Once cooked, I let it sit in the pan all day and reheated it when the rest of the family were home later that day. It tasted wonderful and gave the impression that it took a lot more effort than it did. Bonus: there was some left for my lunch the next day. I think this will be a recipe I revisit a lot.

      Reply
    3. Lesley Chaplin says

      April 03, 2024 at 6:32 pm

      This was really enjoyable the whole family loved it and it was easy to make

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        April 10, 2024 at 8:47 am

        Thanks Lesley!

        Reply
    4. Michelle Walls says

      October 01, 2023 at 10:32 am

      Hi Kate
      The above recipes , 3 bean chilli, lentil Dahl and stews are the all in your book ?
      Thanks
      Michelle

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        October 06, 2023 at 9:52 am

        Hi Michelle, no none of those are in the book, sorry.

        Reply
    5. Kate says

      July 23, 2023 at 4:07 pm

      After buying a 3-bean chilli in the supermarket, I wondered why I had never made one! Hunted online for a recipe and found this one. I've literally just made it and it's simmering away - tastes lovely. As there are only 2 of us it will be dinner tonight and then 2 portions frozen for future evenings. Can't wait to check our your other recipes. Loved the pictures that came with this recipe - I am a confident cook, but it's good to have that reassurance that you're dong it right. Thanks for this recipe x

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        August 04, 2023 at 7:25 am

        That's great to hear, thanks Kate!

        Reply
    6. Adele Irwin says

      March 24, 2023 at 9:13 am

      A very quick and easy recipe. Love having the step by step pictures to follow. A nice rich flavour, great on a jacket potato. Will definitely make again and add a touch more chilli to mine next time.

      Reply
    7. Elaine says

      May 25, 2022 at 10:52 am

      This has become my go to chilli recipe. Such gorgeous depth in the flavours and so satisfying. Thanks Kate for another cracker of a recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        May 25, 2022 at 11:38 am

        That's so lovely to hear, thanks Elaine! Always great to hear feedback especially on my newest recipes. Xx

        Reply
    8. Vicky says

      May 04, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      What a great meatless meal that is full of protein and good for you. I love how filling this chili is and how it contains such rich and smoky flavors.

      Reply
    9. Jess says

      May 04, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      I love how protein-packed this dish is!

      Reply
    10. Suja md says

      May 04, 2022 at 4:01 pm

      This looks amazing and such a treat! Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Andrea says

      May 04, 2022 at 3:27 pm

      That looks delicious! I've never heard of Passata but it looks delicious. I don't think we can get that here but maybe there's something similar I can find! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        May 05, 2022 at 12:28 pm

        Thanks Andrea - passata is just sieved/puréed tomatoes so you could substitute tins of chopped tomatoes instead. Enjoy!

        Reply
    12. Carrie Robinson says

      May 04, 2022 at 3:22 pm

      Loving how hearty this is! 🙂 And the flavors happening here- yum!

      Reply
    4.95 from 17 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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