Hairy Bikers Vegetarian Chilli Recipe

Hairy Bikers vegetarian chilli is a smoky three-bean chilli with jalapeños, chipotle paste, and ancho chilli flakes from Everyday Winners. It uses black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans together, and the whole batch takes about 40 minutes.

Si and Dave say the recipe “makes more than you need for four burritos, but it’s so good” that cooking the full batch is always worth it because you can freeze the rest for another day. What sets this apart from most veggie chillies is using three types of beans, which gives you firm, creamy, and soft textures in every spoonful.

The chilli heat comes from three sources layered together: fresh jalapeños for sharpness, ancho flakes for fruit, and chipotle paste for smoke. Si and Dave suggest 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle depending on how hot you want it, so start low and taste before adding more.

Hairy Bikers Vegetarian Chilli Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Mexican Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour Servings:4 servingsCalories:270 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A freezer-friendly bean chilli from Si and Dave’s Everyday Winners built on three types of beans with jalapeños, ancho chilli flakes, and chipotle. Served as burritos with guacamole and soured cream or as a bowl with rice and lime.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green or red pepper, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 jalapeños, finely chopped (or 1 scotch bonnet)
• 1 tbsp ancho chilli flakes
• 1 tsp chipotle paste
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 200g fresh tomatoes, puréed
• 400g can of black beans, drained
• 400g can of kidney beans, drained
• 400g can of pinto beans, drained
• Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Soften the veg: Heat the oil in a large pan or flameproof casserole dish, then add the onion, pepper, and celery. Cook until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and jalapeños for another couple of minutes.
2. Add spices and beans: Stir in the ancho chilli flakes, chipotle paste, cumin, oregano, puréed tomatoes, and all three cans of beans. Season with salt and pepper, then add 100ml of water.
3. Simmer: Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and leave uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce should reduce to a thick consistency, not runny.
4. Serve: Spoon into warm tortillas with rice, guacamole, soured cream, grated Cheddar, and fresh coriander. Or serve as a bowl over rice with lime wedges.

Keywords:vegetarian chilli con carne hairy bikers, hairy bikers 3 bean chilli, veggie chilli

FAQs

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Cook the onions, peppers, and spices on the hob first because raw spices need direct heat to release their flavour. Tip everything into the slow cooker with the beans and tomatoes, then cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until thick.

The beans hold their shape well over long cooking, so you do not need to worry about them turning to mush. Leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes if the sauce looks too thin.

Can I add dumplings to this?

In One Pot Wonders, Si and Dave top their veggie chilli with sweetcorn cornmeal dumplings that steam on the surface for 25 minutes. That version uses coconut milk and red lentils in the base, which makes the sauce richer and gives the dumplings something thicker to sit on.

If you want to add dumplings to this Everyday Winners recipe, thicken the sauce first by simmering for an extra 10 minutes before placing them on top.

Is there a simpler version without beans?

In Mums Still Know Best, Si and Dave include Manyati’s Veggie Chilli from the Growing Together project. That one uses just olive oil, onion, carrots, peppers, green beans, tomatoes, and fresh chillies with no tinned beans and no spice blends at all. It cooks in one pan until the veg is done.

Can I use quorn mince instead of beans?

Si and Dave mention quorn as a swap in Make It Easy, and it works here if you want a chilli that looks more like a traditional mince version. Brown the quorn before adding the spices, then drop one of the three bean cans so the texture stays balanced. If you prefer real mince, the Hairy Bikers turkey chilli uses turkey mince with chipotle at just 252 calories.

Can I add sweet potato to this?

Adding diced sweet potato works well in this base because the sweetness balances the chipotle heat. Peel and cube one large sweet potato, add it with the tomatoes, and give it an extra 10 minutes of simmering so it softens through. The sweet potato also thickens the sauce naturally as it breaks down at the edges.

What is the Knorr veggie chilli?

Si and Dave featured a veggie chilli in a Knorr TV campaign, which used a stock pot as the base. This Everyday Winners version from their cookbook uses fresh tomatoes and whole spices instead, which gives you more control over the flavour and heat. If you want something with beef, the Hairy Bikers chilli con carne uses both mince and diced steak with dark chocolate from Meat Feasts.