Meat free: Smoky sweet potato & black bean chilli

This hearty chilli con veggie is perfect for relaxed winter evenings with family or friends when you want to pull out a comforting dish that’s easy but delicious. In fact, many of our friends now prefer this veggie chilli to the traditional meat version, and people always request the recipe! What’s more, it’s packed with nutritious vegetables and makes an easy mid-week family meal.

Cook a big batch and freeze or save some for lunch the following day – chilli always tastes great the next day and there are many different ways to serve it. Enjoy with brown rice, guacamole, sour cream and sprinkled with vegan mozzarella, or try with tortilla wraps or topped with nachos and fried halloumi.

Recipe (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• ¼ can of chipotle chillis in adobo sauce, chopped up
• 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Maldon salt & pepper

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the potatoes with half the oil, season and place on a baking tray. Bake for 30 mins, tossing halfway through cooking, until soft.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the onion and cook for 5 mins until soft, then add the garlic. Cook everything for a further 2 mins, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Sprinkle in the spices, stirring for 1 min more, until aromatic. Stir in the chipotles in adobo, tomatoes and half a can of water, swirling it around the tin to wash out all the bits of tomato. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, while the sweet potato is cooking, adding a splash more water if it looks too dry.
3. Add the sweet potato, black beans and seasoning to the chilli. Bubble for 5 mins, then taste and adjust the seasoning with a squeeze of lime if it needs it.

Serve with brown rice, tortilla wraps or on top of nachos with guacamole, sour cream and grated vegan cheese as preferred. Also nice topped with chopped fresh coriander.