Chilli Con Carne

The first snow of the winter arrived at the weekend so what better way to warm yourself up than a bowl of chilli con carne.

Chilli is one of those dishes that warms you up just thinking about it! The deliciously spiced sauce (that can be as hot as you like) is comfort in a bowl. It is a perfect family meal but it is also the ideal dish to serve to a crowd. You can make it in advance and if need be freeze it then simply re-heat and serve with all the accompaniments I have suggested below. I honestly can’t think of anything more perfect for a cold day, than a giant pot of simmering chilli.

When you first look through the list of ingredients, there may be a couple that surprise you, however don’t be put off! The first one is the chipotle pepper (which is actually a dried and smoked jalapeno) and if you can get these then it really is worth the effort. The chilli adds a real depth of flavour with its smoky, chocolate tones that is delicious. If you can’t get the chipotle pepper then you could add a little cocoa powder to add a little extra depth to the chilli, but I promise you won’t be disappointed if you go to the extra effort to track down the chipotles!

The second ingredient that may sound a little strange is the can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup. This is what my mum uses to make chilli and it always tasted amazing. I have added some extra ingredients – spices mainly – but I have stuck with the soup! I appreciate that it is in no way authentic but I have tried making chilli both ways, using tinned tomatoes and secondly with the soup, and every time I have served the soup version people love it! When I tested it myself my preference was definitely the soup sauce so try it and see for yourself – you will be pleasantly surprised!

The recipe below serves 4 since I often make this during the week, however it is very easily (and successfully) doubled or tripled. If you want to make it more substantial serve it with rice.

For a vegetarian version, simply omit the mince and make it a 3 bean chilli instead using kidney beans, borlotti beans and black eye beans. Follow the recipe as above adding all three beans towards the end when it is suggested you add the kidney beans. Delicious!

1 dried, smoked chipotle pepper

2 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

500g extra lean ground beef

2-3 tbsp of chilli powder (depending on the heat of your chilli powder & how spicy you like it)

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup

250ml/ 1 cup beef stock

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Salt & black pepper

420g can of kidney beans

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

To serve:

Spring onions, thinly sliced

Sour Cream

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Coriander

Avocado, sliced

Lime wedges

Tortilla chips

If you have a dried, smoked chipotle pepper re-hydrate it in a small bowl with boiling water while you start cooking the chilli.

In a large pan heat the oil then sauté the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they have softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute before adding the mince. Cook until the mince has browned stirring frequently to break it up into small pieces.

Once the mince has browned add the chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and oregano and stir well until the mince is evenly covered in the spices. Cook for another minute or so then add the soup, beef stock, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. If using the chipotle pepper, remove from the water and finely chop. Add to the chilli, stir well then cover and leave to simmer gently for 45minutes to 1 hour, until the sauce has reduced and thickened and all the flavours have intensified. Add the kidney beans and the red and green peppers and cook for a further 10 – 15 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle in the coriander.

Serve in bowls with extra coriander and all of the above accompaniments for a delicious and hearty meal.