Lentil and Black Bean Chili Non Carne

Look, it's not photogenic. But it tastes good, I promise.

So I guess we are all looking to our cupboards for what we can make from pantry staples. And I've basically got chilli without the meat, but with the same punchy flavour and very similar texture.

And it's also meat-free! It isn’t strictly veggie the way I made it, I had just fried some chorizo for quesadillas so I used that oil to fry off my onions for some extra smoky depth of flavour. But you can very easily just use vegetable oil and make this veggie/vegan.

I find it easier to stick to flavour profiles I know and textures I like when I'm trying something new. I LOVE lentils and beans. I LOVE Mexican flavours. And I love the versatility of Mexican food. Note - I did not use kidney beans because I hate them. Feel free to use them if they're your fave.

You could serve this on top of nachos, or with some guac, sour cream, or salsa on top. It would be a lovely meat-free filling for tacos or enchiladas. I had mine with mozzarella stirred through it while hot which gives it some cheesy goodness, and scooped it up with a soft tortilla wrap.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tsp oil (vegetable or chorizo)
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green chillies, sliced (and deseeded if you like less spice)
• 1.5 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch cinammon
• 300ml tomato pasatta
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 1 dried chilli, chopped
• ½ cup red lentils
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (my favourite bean)

Method

Heat the oil, and fry off the onion until softened (5 minutes or so).

Add the garlic and chilli and fry for another few minutes.

Stir in the spices.

..followed by the pasatta and stock. Season with salt and pepper, and throw in the dried chilli.

Once bubbling, pour in the red lentils and let simmer away for 15  minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t catch. You might need to add a little more water.

Add the beans and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve however you like, the options are endless!