RECIPE: Deliciously healthy Veggie Chilli

Want to master the slow cooker, especially during this colder season?

We sat down with chef Poppy O’Toole who gave us some delicious recipes and tips for the kitchen appliance that can be daunting.

Poppy says: “Whether it’s smothered over nachos, served with fluffy rice or filling a taco shell, this veggie chilli is a delicious way to change up the everyday weekly dinners and try something new. Top tip with chilli: always make too much, so you can have it three different ways throughout the week.”

Veggie Chilli

Serves 4

4 hours on high

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, sliced
• 300g closed-cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons chipotle paste
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon red miso paste
• 1 teaspoon dark brown soft sugar
• 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
• 1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes
• 2 x 400g cans of butter beans, drained
• 150ml strong black coffee
• 20g 70% dark chocolate (optional)
• Large handful of coriander leaves roughly chopped
• Salt and black pepper

Method

• Add all the ingredients except the chocolate and coriander to the bowl of your slow cooker, then stir everything together and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours, until rich and tender.
• Stir in the chocolate (if using), then taste to check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve scattered with coriander and your accompaniments of choice.

Poppy’s Suggestions

• Serve this up with steamed rice, warmed tortillas, quick pickled veg, grated cheddar, soured cream, toasted walnuts (trust me on this one) and a zingy cabbage slaw
• Dark chocolate is a great addition to a chilli, whether it be veggie, turkey or beef. It adds that extra bit of richness but doesn’t make it taste ‘chocolate-y’. Miso is also something you want to keep at hand, as it packs a punch of umami whenever you need it.
• Don’t feel limited to using butter beans in this chilli – if you have a can of kidney beans in the back of the cupboard from 2016 that you’ve never known what to do with, then this is the perfect time to whip them out. Maybe check the use-by date, though.