ServeS 4 • 380 calorieS per Serving

Most cooks’ idea of heaven is putting lots of ingredients in a pot and leaving them to work their magic, then coming back to a delicious hot meal. This Pinto Bean Chilli recipe is just like that. It’s also economical, satisfying and nourishing, offering a valuable source of protein. Dried beans, soaked overnight, give a much better texture to the chilli than tinned beans, and cooking them gently for 2 hours means they have time to soak up all the delicious flavours in the sauce.

Ingredients

200g dried pinto beans

100g dried black beans

100g dried red kidney beans

1 tsp rapeseed oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

1 red pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

400g tin cherry tomatoes

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

Chervil, to garnish

Lime wedges, to serve

For the guacamole

2 avocados
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 fresh green chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

Method

Put all the beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight. Drain in a colander and rinse. Tip the beans into a saucepan, cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 10 minutes on a medium heat until lightly browned. Add the carrot, celery and red pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the beans, tin of tomatoes, chilli powder, paprika and 250ml water. Simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring from time to time.

Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Halve the avocados and remove the stone, then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash roughly with a fork. Mix in the red onion, chilli, lime juice and a pinch of salt.

Season the Bean Chilli. Serve in bowls, each topped with chervil and a big dollop of guacamole, with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Extracted from The Detox Kitchen Bible – Get your copy here!