Ultimate Chilli
We weren't kidding when we dubbed this chilli 'ultimate'. It's deep, dark, smokey and possibly the richest chilli we've ever tasted. The mushroom mince gives it a really meaty texture, the spices make it really full-bodied and the not-so traditional ingredients like soy sauce and maple syrup work surprisingly well to boost that gorgeous flavour. Watch out for the super tasty bonus recipe idea at the end. This could well be the BEST BOSH! RECIPE EVER.... and that is a big statement out our thousands of vegan recipes but we think it could be. Not only is it DELICIOUS, it really is a super nutritious plant-based meal too!
Serves
Ingredients
For the chilli
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp soy sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp balsamic vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400g mushrooms<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>¼ tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red chillies<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 celery stick<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red bell pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250ml red wine<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of black beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of kidney beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 ½ tsp maple syrup<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>10g dark chocolate<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>30g coriander<item-todo-done>
For the spice mix
<item-todo-done>1 tsp chilli powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp cinnamon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp dried oregano<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp black pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 bay leaf<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp cumin<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Food processor | Frying pan | Large saucepan
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.
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.
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
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
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