Veg chilli

This is a lovely, hearty veg chilli that even my carnivore of a husband is happy with! It is packed with all the good stuff and tonnes of flavour.

I cannot emphasis this enough..... buy good quality tinned tomatoes. Full stop. Decent chopped tomatoes are the key. Don’t be tempted with the 10p cheapest ones possible... they have zero flavour, are watery and are full of totally unnecessary extra stuff that we all don’t really understand in the ingredients list.

Anything goes good with this and it’s even better the next day when everything has rested and mingled together.

Let me know what you think!!

Ingredients

• 2 red onions finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped

• Fresh red chilli finely chopped

• Olive oil

• Salt/pepper

• 1 courgette sliced into 10mm pieces and halved (skin on)

• 2 red peppers roughly chopped

• 1 medium butternut squash peeled and chopped into 2cm squares

• 100ml red wine

• 1 tin of good quality chopped tomatoes

• Big handful of fresh cherry tomatoes halved

• 200ml of water with 1 veg stock cube

• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

• 1/2 bunch of fresh coriander or 1 teaspoon of ground

• 1 Teaspoon of paprika

• 1 tin of kidney beans (in chilli sauce are the best for this if possible but not essential) drained

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat then add the onions, garlic and chilli and season.

Stir and simmer until the onions start to soften.

Add the courgette, peppers, squash and wine.

Cover and simmer for 15mins.

Add the tinned and fresh tomatoes, stock, all herbs and spices**

Cover and simmer for about 30mins.

Check occasionally and add a bit more water if it starts to dry out and likewise, if it’s too watery, leave it a bit longer.

Lid off, add kidney beans, check seasoning and let simmer until the squash is soft and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with crusty bread, pita, rice, tortillas.. whatever your poison may be 🥰

** if you are using fresh coriander add this when you add the beans. If using ground, add with all other spices **