Chipotle Kidney Beans with Avocado Yogurt

Chipotle Kidney Beans with Avocado Yogurt

This one's a proper weeknight hero. We keep coming back to it because it's got everything: smoky, spicy chipotle kidney beans, sweet roasted sweet potato, and that cool, creamy avocado yogurt on top that just ties the whole thing together. The contrast of textures is what really gets us, tender beans and caramelised veg with that silky, fresh avocado situation. It's bold, it's filling, and it feels a bit special without being a faff. Make this tonight and you'll be very glad you did.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Food processor
  • Small bowl (for salsa)
  • Small bowl (for avocado yoghurt)

Ingredients

  • olive oil
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 100g sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 2 x 400g can of kidney beans
  • 700ml Passata
  • 4 spring onions
  • 25g coriander
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lime - zest and juice
  • 200g plant-based yoghurt
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1

Roast the sweet potato and prepare the veg

  • Dice the sweet potato into 1cm cubes and place in a large bowl
  • Toss with a good drizzle of olive oil, cumin, paprika, maple syrup and season with salt and pepper
  • Transfer to the lined baking tray and roast for 25 minutes until cooked through Peel and slice the onion, carrot and red pepper
  • Peel and crush the garlic
  • Roughly chop the sundried tomatoes
  • Drain and rinse the kidney beans
2

Make the base

  • Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with a good drizzle of olive oil
  • Add the onion, carrot and red pepper with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised
  • Add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, tomato paste and chipotle paste
  • Cook for a few minutes, then add the kidney beans and passata
  • Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened
  • Taste to season
3

Make the salsa

  • Zest and juice the lime
  • In a small bowl, mix half the lime juice, zest, spring onion, coriander and olive oil with a pinch of salt
4

Make the avocado yoghurt

  • Scoop out the avocado flesh and place in the small bowl of a food processor with the remaining lime juice and yoghurt
  • Blend until smooth
  • Alternatively, mash the avocado with a fork and stir in the yoghurt and lime
  • Taste to season
5

Finish and serve

  • Spread the avocado yoghurt on a plate, top with the chipotle beans, sweet potato and spoon over the salsa

Tips & Variations

  • Make it milder: If you're not big on heat, start with half the chipotle and taste as you go. You can always add more but you can't take it out.
  • Swap the beans: We love kidney beans here but this works brilliantly with black beans too. Ian tends to use whatever he's got in the cupboard and it always turns out great.
  • Get ahead on the yogurt: The avocado yogurt can be made 30 minutes before serving and kept in the fridge. Give it a squeeze of extra lime to stop it going brown.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting that sweet potato properly roasted. Tossing it with cumin, paprika and a little maple syrup before it goes in the oven means you get this gorgeous caramelised edge that adds real depth to the dish. And the avocado yogurt isn't just a garnish, it genuinely cools down the heat from the chipotle and makes every bite more interesting. Trust us, don't skip it.