Total Protein Chilli — a plant-based Mexican recipe by BOSH!
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Total Protein Chilli

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again, especially after a big week when we need something hearty, warming and genuinely good for us. It's a proper chilli, full of smoky depth and bold flavour, but packed with so much plant-based protein that you'll feel amazing after eating it. The tofu crumbles in beautifully, the sweet potato adds this lovely natural sweetness, and the beans bring everything together into something that feels seriously satisfying. It takes about 50 minutes but most of that is hands-off time, so you can just let it do its thing. Make this tonight and you'll be glad you did.

Cook: 50 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Press tofu for at least 30 minutes with weight
  • Bake sweet potato for 40-45 minutes until tender

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ tbsp mixed seeds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 300g extra firm tofu
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 400g can of black beans
  • 20g coriander leaves
  • 200g curly kale
  • chilli flakes to taste

Method

1

First, bake the sweet potato and prepare the tofu

  • Wash the sweet potato, put on a lined baking tray, place in the oven and cook for 40-45 mins until tender
  • Once cooked through, remove from the oven and set aside
  • Line a plate with kitchen paper, place the tofu on the plate and cover with more paper towels
  • Place a weight on top of it and leave for at least 30 minutes
  • Once the tofu has been pressed, crumble into a bowl with your fingers and set aside
2

Peel, mince and dice

  • Peel and mince the red onion and garlic
  • Mince the red chilli
  • Finely slice the coriander stalks
  • Dice the celery and pepper
  • Drain the black beans and rinse them
  • Remove the stem from the kale and slice into bite sized strips
  • Pick the coriander leaves and roughly chop
3

Cook the chilli

  • Put a large saucepan on the hob, add the olive oil and warm over a medium heat
  • Add the onions to the pan and stir for 3 minutes
  • Add the garlic, red chillies, celery, red pepper and kale stem to the pan and stir for a further 5 minutes
  • Add the crumbled tofu, salt, pepper, chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon to the pan and stir everything together well
  • Stir the chopped tomatoes and black beans into the pan, stir everything into the sauce, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, put the lid on and leave to simmer for 15 minutes
4

Blanch the kale

  • Whilst the chilli is cooking, boil the kettle and fill a medium saucepan with boiling water, season well and place over a high heat to bring back to the boil
  • Add the kale and blanch for approx 1-2 minutes to soften
  • Remove the kale from the pan, pat dry with kitchen paper, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chilli flakes and set to one side
5

Serve and enjoy

  • After 15 minutes, remove the chilli from the heat and stir through the coriander leaves
  • Serve half of the chilli with the sweet potato and blanched spicy kale, sprinkle with mixed seeds and eat immediately
  • Save the rest of the chilli in a tupperware to make tacos later in the week (you can also save any leftover kale to serve as an added side for other meals)

Tips & Variations

  • Press the tofu properly: We know 30 minutes feels like a long time, but trust us on this one. The more moisture you get out, the better the texture. Stack a heavy pan or a few tins on top and just let it go.
  • Make it your own: Henry always throws in an extra chipotle pepper if he wants more heat, and Ian loves adding a spoonful of peanut butter near the end for a subtle richness. Both are great, honestly.
  • Double the batch: This chilli freezes brilliantly, so it's well worth making a big pot. Portion it into freezer bags and you've got a proper protein-packed dinner ready to go on any lazy night.

Why This Works

The trick is pressing the tofu properly before you crumble it in. Getting that moisture out means it soaks up all the chilli flavours instead of steaming and going soggy. Baking the sweet potato separately is also a bit of a game changer because it gets this gorgeous caramelised sweetness that you just don't get if you boil it, and that sweetness plays off the smoky spices really well.