This tasty bean chilli recipe is a staple in our house, not only because it is delicious but because it is the go to meal when we have lots of vegetables in that need using up.
The ingredients listed below are the ones that usually end up in the chilli so I have used this as the base, however, as long as the mung beans and the seasoning remains the same anything goes!
Mung beans have gained a bad reputation over the years as a boring health food but they have a great texture and, if seasoned well, they make a great substitute for mince meaning they work brilliantly in chillis. Weirdly enough, the real star of the show in this chilli is the courgette. I have made versions of it with the courgette in and versions without and the tastiest, juiciest chillis have all been the ones that contain the courgette so don’t be scared to throw one in.
As mentioned, this is the perfect meal to make to reduce food waste and I have also added leftover salsa, butternut squash, spinach and sweet potato to this before and they all work well. If you have any avocados that need using up you could pair this with my Easy 5 Minute Guacamole recipe.
I usually just use chilli powder in this recipe and then add fresh chilli on top or stirred through a few minutes before serving, however, if you prefer a spicier taste you could add the fresh chilli at the beginning of the cooking process for a richer flavour. You can amend the amount of chilli used to suit your own personal preference.
You may have noticed I use a pinch of cinnamon in this bean chilli which may seem odd but it really does add an extra depth of flavour so I would highly recommend this ingredient.
I normally cook this zero waste bean chilli in my slow cooker on high for 5 – 6 hours, however, for those of you who don’t have one I wanted to write out the hob method. If you would prefer to use the slow cooker to make this then just keep all the amounts the same and omit the oil.
I make a large batch of this that should serve approximately 5 – 6 people when paired with rice, wedges, nachos etc making this the perfect purse friendly family dinner. It also freezes well meaning it is ideal to make in advance for lunches for the week.
If you like this chilli you may also like my 5 Bean Chilli recipe which you can find here. For other recipes ideal to make when you have vegetables that need using up why not check out my Zero Waste Mung Bean Chilli or my Smokey Potato & Kidney Bean Hash.
If you like this recipe and want to show some support please leave a comment below or visit my Ko-Fi account to donate! x
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