Recipe

Black Bean Chilli with Chipotle & Dark Chocolate

Name: Black Bean Chilli with Chipotle & Dark Chocolate
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 × 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 × 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 3 tbsp chipotle paste (or 2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped); 1 large white onion, finely diced; 1 red pepper, core removed, diced; 1 green pepper, core removed, diced; 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika; 1 tsp dried oregano; 400ml vegetable stock; 25g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids minimum), broken into pieces; Sea salt and black pepper; To serve: soured cream or oat crème fraîche, fresh coriander, lime wedges

A proper, smoky, deeply flavoured chilli that happens to be vegan. The dark chocolate goes in at the end — not enough to taste of chocolate, but enough that you'd notice if it wasn't there.

Serves 4

Ready in 50 min

Keeps 5 days fridge · freezes well

Level Easy

2 × 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed
1 × 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp chipotle paste (or 2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped)
1 large white onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, core removed, diced
1 green pepper, core removed, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
400ml vegetable stock
25g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids minimum), broken into pieces
Sea salt and black pepper
To serve: soured cream or oat crème fraîche, fresh coriander, lime wedges

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and both peppers with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and starting to caramelise at the edges.

Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and dried oregano. Stir constantly for 2 minutes — the spices should become fragrant and coat everything in the pan. Don't skip this step; dry-cooking the spices briefly in the oil is what activates them.

Add the chipotle paste and stir through for 1 minute. It should darken and smell deeply smoky. If using chipotles in adobo instead, add them now and break up any large pieces with the back of the spoon.

Add both tins of drained beans, the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir everything together thoroughly, then bring to a steady simmer. Cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chilli has thickened and the liquid has reduced to a rich, saucy consistency. Use the back of a spoon to crush a few beans against the side of the pot — this helps bind the sauce.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the dark chocolate pieces and stir steadily until completely melted and incorporated. Taste now and season generously — the chocolate rounds off the acidity and sharpness, but the chilli still needs salt to come alive.

Ladle into deep bowls. Serve with a spoonful of soured cream or oat crème fraîche, a handful of fresh coriander and lime wedges alongside. Rice or flatbread work well, but the chilli is substantial enough on its own.

✦ Chef's note

This improves significantly the next day — make it ahead when you can. It also freezes extremely well in portions. Chipotle paste varies considerably in heat between brands; start with 2 tablespoons, taste after it's had a minute in the pan, and add more if you want more smoke or heat. If it's very thick on reheating, add a splash of water and stir through over a low heat.