Everyday cooking
Bean and sweetcorn chilli sin carne
A hearty meat-free pot of kidney beans, sweetcorn, peppers and tomatoes.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings / pieces
- 4
- Topic
- Everyday cooking
Beans, sweetcorn and a reduced tomato base give this chilli plenty of body without a meat substitute. Mash a small portion of the beans and they thicken the sauce naturally. Pepper adds sweetness, while cumin and smoked paprika provide the savoury seasoning. Keep the chilli modest in the pot and offer extra flakes at the table if people prefer different levels of heat. This recipe uses beans that are already cooked, from a tin or jar. Do not add raw dried kidney beans straight to this tomato sauce.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Prepare beans and vegetables
Rinse and drain the beans and sweetcorn. Remove the pepper seeds and dice the flesh. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Roughly mash about 3 tbsp of the beans with a fork.
- 02
Soften onion and pepper
Heat the oil and soften the onion for 4 minutes over a medium heat. Add the pepper and cook for another 5 minutes without deeply browning it.
- 03
Briefly toast the spices
Stir in the garlic, tomato purée, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds, then immediately add the tomatoes and water so the spices do not burn.
- 04
Simmer the chilli
Add the whole and mashed beans, sweetcorn and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered over a low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, reaching the bottom of the pan.
- 05
Adjust and serve
Reduce a little longer if the sauce is thin, or add water if it has become too thick. Stir in the lime juice, adjust the seasoning and serve with rice, bread or baked potatoes.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Control the heat
Chilli flakes vary considerably. Start with a small pinch if you do not know their strength, then offer more at the table. If the pot becomes too hot, extra plain beans and tomatoes spread that heat across more servings. Sugar does not remove the chilli heat.
Making it ahead
Transfer the cooked chilli to shallow containers and cool promptly; the middle of a large hot pot stays warm for a long time. Reheat thoroughly and add a splash of water because the beans continue thickening the sauce. Taste for fresh lime juice after reheating rather than relying on the original seasoning.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Can I change the beans?
Cooked black or white beans also work. Use roughly the same drained weight and make sure they are already fully cooked.
Why is it sticking?
Mashed beans make the sauce thick. Low heat, regular stirring and a little extra water when needed help prevent a layer catching on the bottom.
