Chickpea Chilli with Guacamole

I think I may have just upped my chilli game and it couldn’t have been easier or quicker to make. Chilli (non-carne) is one of my go-to meals to feed friends and family who are perhaps less than persuaded by a vegan lifestyle. Why? Because as I wrote about in my Veganuary hacks, offering a hearty dish, only veganised, is a comfort and feels familiar. In fact, you don’t need to shout out about the fact this chilli is meat-free, dairy-free and gluten-free because it is full of life, colour and flavour. 

My trick to a perfect chilli is to add cacao right at the end of the cooking time. To some of you this may seem quite a strange concept, adding chocolate to a savoury dish, but just look at the reverse: how popular is chilli chocolate? The sweetness balanced beautifully with a gentle fiery kick? The same goes for a warming bowl of Chickpea Chilli. The cacao doesn’t make the chilli taste like chocolate, far from it! Instead it lends a wonderful richness and another dimension to an otherwise tomato and paprika based savoury dish. It’s a game-changer. And remember if you don’t have raw cacao, you can use cocoa powder, just make sure it is unsweetened! 

Another thing you’ll notice is slightly different about this chilli non-carne is the lack of beans! I love a good kidney bean but I wanted to try something different and turn the humble chickpea into a cosy and comforting family meal. All of the ingredients are easy to find and you probably already have them in your cupboards: lots of lovely cumin, rich smoky paprika, dried oregano and rich umami Tamari soy sauce.

I love adding guacamole or avocado to pretty much all my meals, and I love the texture and temperature contrast between this warming chickpea chilli and the refreshing and creamy avocado. I was so happy to use the delicious Original Guacamole from Holy Moly for this recipe which is so fresh. They also have other flavours like the 100% Pure and the Spicy Guac.

I hope you’ll love this recipe, it’s quick and easy, rich and flavourful, hearty and 100% vegan, gluten-free and made from whole-foods. If you fancy more chilli, take a look at my Sunflower Mince Chilli recipe, both are delicious with some Vegan Black Bean and Sweet Cornbread.

Chickpea Chilli with Guacamole

• Servings: 2
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A quick and easy vegan chilli with warming spices and rich cacao for the ultimate comfort food. Serve with rice and lots of guacamole for a healthy and gluten free dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ – 1 red chilli pepper, diced (seeds removed depending how hot you like it)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained (240g drained weight)
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1 pack Original Guacamole
• 2 portions rice, cooked
• serving suggestions: thick yoghurt, chopped fresh coriander, chilli flakes

Directions

1. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onion and red pepper. Fry for about 10 minutes until softened before adding the garlic, chilli, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika and dried oregano. Fry for a couple of minutes until smelling fragrant.
2. Add in the tamari soy sauce, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and chickpeas, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
3. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, now add the raw cacao and stir again. Leave for a few minutes before serving on top of rice. Add a spoon of Original Guacamole, some thick yoghurt, chopped coriander and chilli flakes, if desired.

I would love to hear your thoughts on my Chickpea Chilli with Guacamole – please tag me in your creations as I love seeing them! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With chilli guac x