Ultimate Chilli

Ultimate Chilli

This is the one we keep coming back to when we want something that absolutely delivers. A proper, hearty chilli with deep smoky flavour, loads of texture, and that satisfying kick that makes you want a second bowl before you've even finished the first. The secret weapon is the mushrooms, blitzed down and cooked until they almost melt into the base, giving you that rich, meaty depth without any meat in sight. It's the kind of recipe that feels like a big hug in a bowl, and honestly, once you've made it this way, you won't want to go back. Get this one on tonight.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Food processor
  • Large saucepan
  • Large frying pan
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 400g mushrooms
  • olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 red onions
  • 2 red chillies
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 250ml red wine
  • 2 x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 400g can of black beans
  • 1 x 400g can of kidney beans
  • 1 ½ tsp maple syrup
  • 10g dark chocolate
  • 30g coriander
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp cumin

Method

1

For the mushrooms

  • Put the mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until very finely minced (you can chop them if you prefer, but it’s quicker and better with a food processor).
  • Pour a little oil into the hot frying pan. Once the oil is hot, tip in the mushrooms with the salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
2

Prepare the veggies

  • Peel and mince the red onions
  • Peel and mince the garlic
  • Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce, then chop finely
  • Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside. Finely chop the stalks.
  • Trim the leaves and root from the celery
  • Cut the pepper in half and cut out the stem and seeds
  • Cut the celery and pepper into very small chunks.
3

Start the chilli

  • Add a little oil to the large saucepan 
  • Once it is hot, add the minced onions and garlic, the finely chopped coriander stalks and the chillies and cook gently for 5–10 minutes, making sure you stir constantly
  • Add the chopped celery and red pepper chunks to the pan and stir
4

Add the spices and sauce

  • Add all the spice mix ingredients to the pan and stir so that the spices are well mixed and coat all the vegetable
  • Stir in the tomato purée to give a rich colour and depth of flavour
  • Pour the red wine, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar into the pan and turn up the heat to high
  • Stir constantly until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds and the alcoholic aroma has subsided
  • Tip the chopped tomatoes into the pan, stir into the chilli and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce is noticeably thicker
5

Finish and serve

  • Drain the black beans and kidney beans and add them to the pan along with the maple syrup, dark chocolate and the minced mushrooms
  • Stir everything together really well and then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer
  • Leave this bubbling away with the lid off, stirring occasionally until it’s reduced to the right thickness (at least 10 minutes)
  • You can leave it bubbling for longer to deepen the flavours, adding more water if needed to keep the right consistency
  • Take the lid off the pan and remove the bay leaf. Stir the coriander leaves into the chilli and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Use a food processor for the mushrooms: We know it's tempting to just chop them by hand, but the food processor gets them so fine they almost dissolve into the chilli. That's exactly what you want. Takes about 10 seconds and makes a real difference.
  • Spice it your way: If you like it hotter, add an extra pinch of chilli flakes or a fresh chilli in with the veggies. If you're cooking for people who can't handle the heat, just dial back the chilli and let everyone add hot sauce at the table.
  • Make it go further: This is brilliant served over rice, obviously, but we also love it spooned into tacos, baked potatoes, or even on toast with some pickled jalapeños on top. One batch, loads of meals.

Why This Works

The trick here is the minced mushrooms. Blitzing them in a food processor and cooking them down first means they lose all their moisture and start to almost caramelise, which builds a seriously deep, savoury base before anything else even goes in the pan. That foundation is what gives this chilli its proper, slow-cooked flavour even though it's ready in 35 minutes. Trust us on this one, it's a game changer.