This is a recipe for a really tasty and nutritious 5 bean chilli to healthify your nachos! I call them 5 bean loaded nachos. Throw a few store cupboard ingredients (and lots of beans!) in a pot, simmer, then throw onto nachos with all your favourite yummy toppings. Delicious, it feeds a small crowd, and is freezer friendly too!
4clovesgarliccrushed (I sometimes add more – 4 large or 5 to 6 regular sized cloves)
2carrotschopped into small pieces
1zucchinichopped into small pieces
1.5tablespoonschilli powder1 – 2 tablespoons, depending on how fiery you like your chilli!
2tablespoonssmoked paprika
1tablespooncumin
3canstomatoes
1.5cupspassataUSA = tomato sauce
2cupswater
4cansbeans14 ounce / 400 gram cans - mixed, cooked e.g. butter beans, kidney beans, flageolet beans, black beans, chick peas
1cansweetcorn14 ounces / 400 grams
2tablespoonsdried herbsmixed, oregano, or basil
2teaspoonssalt
a few drizzles honey & 2 bay leavesoptional
nachos & topping suggestions
nachos1 handful per person
chopped avocado
simple tomato & onion salsa
sour cream or Greek yogurt
chopped fresh cilantro / coriander
grated cheese
Instructions
Saute the onion and garlic with a little oil for a few minutes in a large cooking pot.
Add the carrots and zucchini and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
Add the chilli powder, paprika and cumin and stir for another minute or two.
Pour in the tomatoes, passata and water and add the beans and corn, herbs, and salt.
Bring to the boil, then let simmer for 30 minutes or until the chilli is like a thick soup or stew.
Meanwhile, prepare your choice of toppings. Serve over nachos (or for a lighter version with just a few nachos sprinkled on top!).
Video
Notes
A note on the spices (and herbs!)
1 to 2 tablespoons, depending on how fiery you like your chili to be! Better to err on the conservative side, and you can always add more next time if it didn’t seem spicy enough. On the other hand if you overdo it with the chili, I find the toppings cool things down a lot, so it usually isn’t the end of the world!If you like you can also add a couple of bay leaves and a big drizzle of honey to your chili for a tiny bit of extra pizzazz!
A note on the nachos
I sometimes find my eyes are bigger than my tummy when it comes to how many nachos to serve! A medium handful per person is about right. If you want to keep the meal a bit lighter though you can reverse the ‘normal’ nacho concept.Serve the chili stew style in a bowl, then just sprinkle a few nachos over the top for a bit of crunch. Of course you could also serve this veggie chilli with rice, bread or quinoa.
A note on the nutritional info
The nutritional info for this recipe is just for the chilli. To be honest it was difficult to calculate it accurately for this recipe, so you might have to disregard it. Sorry if that's a problem for you.Also, even if you take the nutritional info given as a very rough estimate, I have not included the toppings, as these vary according to what you choose and how much you add to your nachos.