Feeling saucy?

This saucy food is for the soul.

It’s made with love.

The best thing about winter can be the FOOD. This comfort food classic is hearty and super tasty.

It’s very easy to make yet will impress and make you look like a professional chef if you need it to.

It has a mild kick but nothing over the top. No really, it’s not spicy. (How many times has a waiter told you something isn’t really spicy but then you order it and it blows your head off? It’s happened to me SEVERAL times, especially in Asia).

Anyways, back to Mexico.

Hola!

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit Mexico, you’ll know that their food has a very distinct flavour. I’ll be honest, eating there is NEVER the same as eating Mexican food in another country, but this Mexican Three Bean Chili comes as close as I can get it.

I can’t really take the credit for this dinner recipe. It was Halloween and my husband decided it was chili night. We hadn’t ever made chili at home before. I remember thinking how this was now my new favorite thing he had ever cooked for me, so I remade it the very next week just how he told me to and made this recipe for you.

Substitutions

I used three different types of beans in this vegan dinner recipe. Black beans, kidney beans and white beans. These were just what we had in the cupboard. You can feel free to use just one type of bean or do two instead of three.

For the vegetables I used onion, red pepper and zucchini. These are not definitely needed in a chili recipe, but I like to have veg in whatever I’m cooking to add some extra nutrition. If you’re feeling more Mexican, then you could add green peppers.

Another delicious way of serving is to add corn chips to the bottom of the bowl, why not?!

PLANT-BASED FOOD MADE SIMPLE

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to be complicated. This Complete Plant-Based Diet Foods List makes grocery shopping quick, easy and delicious.

Method

It’s not all that common to find zucchini or even vegetables in chili. For the onion, red pepper and zucchini I finely chopped them so that they wouldn’t over take the whole recipe texture wise no longer seem like a chili. I got in the extra health factor but without comprising the chili flavor.

Once the vegetables are cooked off a little, i add all of the beans and herbs and just mix into my big skillet pan.

This is how my finished result came out. It’s making me hungry just writing about this delicious chili.

If you’re looking for a low carb option, quite often I eat this without the rice and just have the chili in a bowl, it’s still delicious! You could also jut cook up some more vegetables and throw them in!

Nutrition Info

The beans in this one make it an iron powerhouse!

According to Healthine, most of the iron in your body is stored in red blood cells, which transport oxygen from your lungs to the organs and tissues throughout your body.

Did you know that red peppers have MORE vitamin C in than oranges? This dish ensures you hit all of your vitamin C for the day and some in just one bowl. The vitamin C in the dish will hugely help with your iron absorption too!

The abundance of vitamin c and iron are a nutrient match made in heaven.

The dish is also rich in potassium. It helps reduce blood pressure and water retention, protect against stroke and help prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones

Almost 25g of protein in one dish is pretty great for that too.

If you’re looking for vegan gainz or just watching your macro nutrients to make sure you hit your protein numbers, this dish is a good fit.

Fiber, I couldn’t write this recipe without talking about the fiber! Beans, beans, good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you….(fill in the blank please). Who else sung this rhyme as a child?

A serving size has 89% of needed fibre for the day.

Fiber is AMAZING for your body. It regulates your blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol levels, gives you a happy gut microbiome, aids digestion and reduces the chances of chronic diseases.

Top Tip

When the chili is cooked and ready to go, I like to serve it up with the coconut cream in the middle, with some avocado and cilantro topping to give a bit if wow factor for whoever I’m cooking for.

Mexican Three Bean Vegan Chili

Serves: 2
Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 x cup of uncooked rice of your choice

1 x tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 x red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 x red pepper finely chopped

1 x tin 15 oz can chopped tomatoes

1/2 large zucchini finely chopped

3 x cloves of fresh garlic, minced

2 x cups of water mixed with one cube of veg broth

1 x can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 x can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 x can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 x cup red wine *optional

1 x tsp oregano

2 x tsp cumin

1 x tsp paprika

2 x tsp chilli powder

1 x dash black pepper

1 x dash Himalayan sea salt

3 x sprigs of coriander

1/2 ripe avocado

2 x tbsp canned coconut cream

1 x half a lime, freshly juiced

Directions

1. Cook the rice as per the instructions (rice can be different so it depends on the one you buy)

2. For the chilli add the olive oil to the pan and heat up slightly. Then add the onion and cook for two minutes

3. Add the pepper, zucchini and fresh garlic and cook for a further few mins

4. Add in the broth water and stir all together

5. Add the spices and red wine if including and stir all together

6. Add the beans and chopped tomatoes and finally the fresh coriander and stir in all together

7. Lightly simmer for for 20 minutes

8. While the chilli is cooking, slice half of the avocado

9. When both the rice and chili are ready, serve onto a plate. Add the coconut cream and sprig of cilantro

This recipe is a staple at home that I cook frequently. I hope you like the recipe, if so please feel free to sign up for vegan lifestyle tips and recipes straight to your inbox below.