Veggie chilli

[CaptainWarbeck]

How do you make yours? I love eating it when I'm out but somehow can't get a homemade one to taste particularly good, it's always a bit watery, bland and generally a bit crap. Does anyone do anything to pep up the Quorn or just generally what ingredients do you put in it if you make it regularly?

I don't make it with quorn. I use cans of mixed beans + cans of kidney beans for the base cooked until soft, lots of mushrooms, mixed peppers, tomatoes, chillies, onions & garlic, dash of red wine & tomato purée, cumin & dried chilli + a little cinnamon. Slow cook off extra liquid - serve with sour cream and guacamole

Not quorn veggie mince.

Fry onions and peppers, with some garlic and chillis. Add veggie mince once the onions start to clear. Once the mince is cooked, add some cumin, a tin of toms, or passata, one stock cube, a teaspoon of cocoa and some water and then pop the rice on. By the time the rice is cooked the chilli is done. Add more chilli in powder r sauce form if it needs more heat. And season to taste.

Don't put quorn in it, for a start!

Mine is full of veg & assorted beans. If it looks a bit thin I add a handful of red lentils to thicken - so long as you simmer for at least 15 minutes they mush down nicely.

I don't have a recipe as I just make it when I'm having a fridge clear out .

But lots of cumin, garlic & chilli (a fresh one chopped & extra powder if needed) & fresh coriander added at the end.

Actually you can sometimes get enchillada kits cheap in home bargains etc etc - the little spice packet included is a good quick fix to liven up a chilli that's turned out bland! I used to buy the kits as a cheap way of picking up tortillas & save the spice mix until something needed livening up. Also great for spicy potato wedges...

Secret to good veg chilli for me is to leave it overnight, we never eat it right away. The flavours and the consistency are much better the next day. My recipe varies but always use kidney beans, onion, peppers, carrots (very finely chopped), tin chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, chilli, cumin, dark chocolate (75% type) at end of cooking. I find that makes a very nice veg chilli. I sometimes add green lentils, red lentils or dried soya mince. I make mine in slow cooker with only the liquid from the tinned tomatoes as the veg all release enough. Season well, salt & pepper.

But advice is to leave it until the next day to eat.

I forgot the beans - they go in at the same time as the passata/tomatoes. doh!

I'm allergic to quorn, so never use it or any other veggie mince. I use tins of mixed beans, peppers, onions and carrots diced, tin of chopped tomatoes, a couple of chillis, some chilli powder.

I believe the secret is to sauté off the onions and garlic for a good 15-20 minutes before adding any other ingredients. On a low heat so as not to burn them, then I add the carrots, then peppers, with the chillis and chilli powder, then beans and tomatoes before simmering for a couple of hours, best served the next day. you can check the heat then and add more chilli if required or add our cream if too hot.

If H makes it he adds grated dark chocolate, but personally I cant taste any difference when he does that to mine.

my mum swears by Jamie olivers recipe substituting tinned mixed beans or veggie mince for beef mince.

I use quorn...you just need stuff to make it taste, lol.

I use garlic, onions, cumin, chilli, smoked paprika, a veg stock cube, a splash of balsamic and some marmite.

With mince, beans and tinned tomatoes.

2X tins of Tescos taco mixed beans in spicy Tomato sauce
1Xcarton of passata with chilli and pepper
1 diced red pepper and 1 diced onion, clove or two of garlic.
Shit loads of smoker paprika, some chilli flakes, mild chili powder, and a bit of cayenne pepper. Add a bit of quorn mince to pad it out.

Taste as you go along, it's delicious. Staple in our household. Usually make in a parcel with a tortilla, bit of salsa and cheese on the top and bung it in the oven !

secret ingredients in chilli are red wine and dark chocolate

Yes to dark chocolate although a dark ale here instead of red wine

Onions, peppers, kidney beans, lentils, borlotti beans and celery.

Lots of cumin, fresh chilli to taste, bit of garlic and a day of balsamic

Look up Scott Jurek Minnesota winter chilli (on phone, can't link). Yum yum.

Bulgar wheat is your friend

Alright I am making one tonight!

Will do cocoa, red wine, handful of red lentils, lots of garlic and spices and chilli, cook the onions long and slow. And might try and let it sit for a while after making it.

Haven't decided on Quorn yet. I struggle a bit with beans being hard and chewy but I think I probably need to cook them in the liquid for longer than I usually do.

Also looking forward to doing some sour cream and coriander and other bits to go with it. All tips much appreciated so far and will welcome any more anyone has.

Also, bulgur wheat? Only ever used that in tabbouleh.

I love to add Chipotle paste, a little cinnamon and Rosemary too. I agree with beans + Green lentils rather than quorn.

My favourite veg chilli recipes are:

Green's black bean chilli - this one is amazing but probably the most complex/time consuming one to do

Jamie Oliver with sweet potato

From River Cottage Veg Every Day

From Anna Jones' first book, and uses bulgur wheat

My favourite has red, green and puy lentils. Dp and the dds prefer Quorn though. Either way, I add chipotle paste, barbecue sauce, cocoa, coffee and sometimes lager. The 'brown' stuff helps to counter too much tomatoyness.

Made it! It was really yummy. Even used the first chilli off our own chilli plant outside! Lots packed up in the freezer too for easy meals at a later date so I'm chuffed with that. Thanks all

I haven't had a good veggie chilli in ages -thanks to this thread that is about to change

grifone a good veggie chilli is a thing of beauty!!