Lentil & Kidney Bean Chilli

Difficulty: Easy

Serves 4

Cool air and grey skies are making way for warmer weather and sunshine but I’m still hanging onto winter for dear life with this dish. It’s  a great meal for a several reasons; it takes less than 30 minutes to make, you should have all of these ingredients already, it’s a cheap meal to throw together, it’s hearty and healthy all the while tasting bloody delicious. Team this up with my excellent cornbread recipe and you’ve got yourself a spot on meal, whether Mother Nature wants to accept it or not.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 small chilli, finely chopped (deseeded if you want less heat. Omit altogether for a super mild chilli)
• 1 red capsicum, chopped
• 1 can kidney beans, drained
• 1 can brown lentils, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Vegan sour cream and parsley to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan.
2. Add the onion and garlic, once the onion has started to go translucent, add the cumin, thyme, cinnamon, paprika, chilli and capsicum.
3. Cook for a few minutes before throwing in the kidney beans, lentils and diced tomatoes.
4. Stir through the tomato paste, liquid smoke and brown sugar.
5. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-10 minutes before allowing to simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
6. Once your chilli looks thick and rich, it’s ready to serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream and some fresh parsley.