I cooked this recipe vegan bean stew recipe many times both in my good old casserole dish and in my Ninja Kitchen pressure cooker. Undoubtedly, in the Ninja cooker it takes the fraction of the time to prepare this, in the matter of 15 minutes and you just throw everything into the machine. Then it will cook if for you.
However, for those who don’t have a pressure cooker or prefer cooking in pots and pans I have written up this recipe below using my casserole dish on the hob. Jump to Recipe
This chilli sin carne or bean stew will satisfy the carnivores too for it has a secret ingredient that makes the taste quite “meaty”. and that secret ingredient is raw, unsweetened cocoa powder (fairtrade coca powder of course).
Why cocoa powder?
So chilli and cocoa. It might seem odd, but it’s actually quite a common combination where they come from: in Central America and Mexico, where chilli peppers and cocoa beans are native.
Adding chocolate to chilli adds a depth and richness to the spicy dish, making it both more savoury and more satisfying. That’s especially the case for vegetarian and vegan chilis, when the hearty flavours from meat aren’t part of the equation. So the coca is there to balance this.
Why beetroot?
I love adding some beetroot to chillies it makes it slightly sweet and earthy. Plus a vibrant beet red colour. It’s healthy and it’s in season for the best part of the year.
Hope you’ll like my vegan bean stew recipe!
Vegan Bean Stew With Chilli And Cocoa
- 2 cans beans I used one can of kidney bans and a mixed one
- 2 cans chopped tomato
- 200 ml water
- 1 medium red onion chopped finely
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium beetroot peeled and roasted
- 1 yellow pepper cubed
- 2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp raw, unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt and pepper to taste
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First roast the beetroot in the oven (about 15-20 minutes if you chop into half). Let it. cool, then peel it and chop it up into smaller cubes.
Get your casserole dish out and add heat the oil. Add the onions and the sugar, caramelise them together for 5 minutes.
Add the concentrated tomato puree and the cumin, smoked paprika and chilli. Simmer for a minute or two.
Add the chopped tomato and the water. Tip in the beans, beetroot and the yellow peppers.
Cook it for about 40 minutes.
Lastly stir in the cocoa powder, season it with salt and pepper and cook it for another 10 minutes.
Enjoy.
Try my other vegan one pot recipes:
Simple Oriental Stir Fry (Vegan Recipe)
Vegan Thai Sweet Potato Curry With Chickpeas Recipe
