Description
This slow cooker black bean chilli is a hearty, flavorful vegetarian dish perfect for a comforting meal. Featuring smoked paprika, chipotle chilli paste, and fresh lime, it combines soft black beans with fragrant vegetables and warming spices, cooked slowly to meld the flavors beautifully. Served with soft corn tortillas, soured cream, and fresh coriander, this low-calorie recipe is ideal for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large red onion, ½ finely chopped, ½ thinly sliced
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 2 limes, ½ juiced, rest cut into wedges
Canned Goods & Spices
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (hot or sweet, to taste)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 2-3 tsp chipotle chilli paste
- 2 x 400g tins black beans, rinsed and drained
For Serving
- Soured cream
- A small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
- Soft corn tortillas
- Chilli sauce (jalapeño or habanero recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Set your slow cooker to high or low depending on your desired cooking time; high for 1-2 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
- Sauté Vegetables and Spices: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, finely chopped onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Fry for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft, golden, and fragrant.
- Quick-Pickle Onions: While frying the vegetables, place the thinly sliced onion in a small pan, cover with boiling water, and simmer for 1 minute. Drain thoroughly, then season with a pinch of salt and juice of half a lime. Set aside for serving.
- Combine Ingredients: Add tinned chopped tomatoes, smoked paprika, ground cumin seeds, and chipotle chilli paste to the sautéed vegetables in the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the rinsed black beans until well combined.
- Start Slow Cooking: Transfer the beans and vegetable mixture into the slow cooker. Season with salt and additional chilli if desired. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 4-6 hours, until the sauce is rich and the flavors have fully combined.
- Finish and Serve: Once cooked, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve the chilli topped with soured cream, pickled red onions, fresh coriander, and lime wedges alongside soft corn tortillas and chilli sauce.
Notes
- This slow cooker black bean chilli is a low-calorie vegetarian dish, great for a healthy family meal.
- Adjust the amount of chipotle chilli paste to control the heat level to your preference.
- Pickling the onions briefly helps to add a tangy contrast to the rich chilli.
- Serve with soft corn tortillas for an authentic, satisfying texture and flavor combination.
- For extra protein, consider adding a dollop of Greek yogurt instead of soured cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 0.7 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.6 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
