Vegetarian Mince Chilli Con Carne

A delicious, healthy and family friendly vegetarian chilli con carne with adjustable spice levels

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 284kcal

Author thebakingexplorer

1 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Red onion chopped up
2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
2 sticks Celery chopped up
2 Fresh red chillies optional, finely chopped
2 Bell peppers (red, orange or yellow) chopped up
2 Carrots medium sized, finely chopped or grated
500 g Vegetarian or vegan mince I used Quorn
690g Passata
1 tbsp Tomato puree
2 tsp Smoked paprika
1 tsp Cumin
½ tsp Mixed herbs
2 tsp Chilli powder optional
1 tsp Sugar
150 ml Water
1 Vegetable stock cube I used Oxo
480 g Red kidney beans I used two 400g tins, once drained the beans weighed 480g
½ tsp Salt to taste

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan on a low-medium heat
Add the red onion, garlic, celery and (if using) the fresh chilli. Cook for around 5 minutes, until softened
Add the carrots and peppers, cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the vegetarian mince, stir it in and cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the passata, tomato puree, water, vegetable stock cube, smoked paprika, cumin, mixed herbs, chilli powder (if using) and sugar. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes (or longer if you prefer)
Add the drained red kidney beans and stir in. Cook for around 5 minutes, until the beans have warmed through. Add salt to taste
Serve immediately with boiled rice, nachos, sour cream, guacamole... you decide!Allow leftovers to cool completely. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months

I love using red onion in chilli con carne, but you can use white onion instead too.
I used Quorn mince for this recipe, but you can use any vegetarian or vegan mince. If you don't want to use the mince, you can use mushrooms or crumbled tofu instead.
I used a dried herb mix containing thyme, marjoram, parsley, oregano, sage, basil. If you can't find a mix, oregano or thyme would be best in this recipe.
Canned kidney beans are the traditional beans in chilli con carne, but you could also use pinto, haricot, cannellini or black beans instead.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.