Chili sin carne – creamy, spiced and packed with plant protein.
Looking for a warming, spiced stew that fills you up and tastes of Mexican heat – without any meat at all? Then this chili sin carne is a winning combination of flavour, body and plant power.
Instead of meat, I use a generous helping of beans and lentils, and a colourful mix of peppers, tomatoes and onion – all cooked in a deep, full-bodied sauce with garlic, cumin, coriander and cinnamon and a little kick of chilli. It is left to simmer gently so the flavours meld together, giving you a stew with a full, creamy bite.
It is quick to make, perfect for a busy weekday and easy to prepare the day before – the flavours only improve from resting. Serve it with rice or flatbread – crème fraîche or a creamy avocado salad – and you have a full-flavoured, warming dinner that everyone will love.
Rich, filling and meat-free – a hearty chili sin carne
The best thing about this chili sin carne? You never miss the meat! The mix of beans and lentils gives plenty of protein and texture, and the sauce is so rich and full of flavour that it satisfies you right down to the soul.
The dish is easy to vary with other vegetables such as courgette or small fried cubes of aubergine. Sweetcorn is also hugely popular – and toppings can include avocado slices, crème fraîche or grated cheese.
It is just as well suited to a vegan version if you replace the dairy with plant-based alternatives.
Chili sin carne shows how far you can get with pulses, vegetables and spices – with the right flavour and body, you forget entirely that there is no meat in the pot.
You will find my best recipe for chili sin carne below.
Chili sin carne
Ingredients
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 large carrots, cut into small dice
- 2 peppers, cut into small dice
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated or crushed
- 10-15 slices of pickled jalapeños, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 150 g red lentils
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 15 g dark chocolate
- 250 ml strong stock – 1 stock cube
- 2 tins beans
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Oil
Method
- Heat a saucepan and sweat the onion in a splash of oil until soft and translucent.
- Add the carrots, peppers, garlic and jalapeños and fry for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle over the spices and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook for about a minute, then add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, stock and chocolate.
- Leave the chilli to simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir from time to time, and add more liquid if needed.
- Add the beans for the last 5 minutes to heat through, and season to taste with chilli/jalapeños, salt and pepper.
- Serve with crème fraîche, rice, tortilla chips or flatbread.
Nutrition
Premium
Hejsa. Kan den fryses
Hej Mette
Det kan den sagtens ja:)
Warm wishes, Dianna
Så laver jeg den da lige igen, super ret
Vildt lækker opskrift!
Smager super lækkert. Mums
Tusind tak Birthe – det er jeg glad for at høre 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Hvor lang tid kan den holde sig på køl?
Torsdag i dag – kan jeg lave den nu og servere den på lørdag?
Kan man bruge hvide bønner i retten?
Hejsa
Ja det kan du sagtens gøre, – alle former for bønner smager fantastisk i retten:)
Warm wishes, Dianna