Have you ever put marmite in your chilli? Well, now you have. When cooking without meat, sometimes it can be hard to replicate that deep flavour, so using old age techniques like adding in marmite or even some dark chocolate can really help to give depth to a dish.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 can of aduki beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of borlotti beans
1 can of chopped tomatoes
100g chestnut mushrooms
1 large carrot
100ml red wine
2 tsp marmite
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 large celery sticks
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder/flakes (tailor to your heat preference)
2 tsp honey / agave syrup / sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Vegetable stock
Salt / pepper
To serve:
Fresh coriander
Sour cream or Alpro yoghurt
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Grated cheddar cheese/vegan alternative
Couscous / rice / roasted sweet potato
Game Changer: Check out my Mexican Bowls with all the trimmings
Method:
- In a large, deep frying pan (preferably one with a lid), sweat your onions and celery in a little oil until translucent
- Then add in your garlic, chopped mushrooms and carrot (I cut mine into small equal cubes), followed by your dry spices and tomato puree, and continue to cook for a further couple of minutes
- Now add in your wine and and cook this out for a further minute, then add in your tin of chopped tomatoes, followed by all three cans of beans (strain them first)
- Make your stock, roughly ½ a pint of veggie or beef stock (I like to fill up the empty tomato can with water and use this as my stock juices, adding the stock cube to this) and add to the mix
- Add your marmite, Worcestershire Sauce, honey (or alternative)
- Now leave this to simmer gently, with the lid on for 30 minutes (check occasionally, incase it needs any ore liquid)
- While this is cooking, dry fry your pumpkin seeds and set to a side (beware, they have a tendency to jump out of the pan!)
- Chop a big bunch of coriander and set to the side until just before serving
- Now’s also a good time to get your couscous ready: pour boiling water over designated amount, according to instructions
- Your vegetables should be cooked through by now, still with a slight bite. Taste and season accordingly, then turn up the heat and take the lid off to let it reduce and the sauce to thicken
- Once reduced, turn off the heat in half of your freshly chopped coriander
- Now serve with your couscous, topped with the pumpkin seeds, a blob of yoghurt and the rest of your coriander
Fuel your body happy 