Quinoa Black Bean & Corn Chili

No matter what time of year it is, I always find comfort in a bowl of chilli: the warming spices, enjoyed curled up beside a roaring fire, or under a blanket on a cool summer’s evening, gazing up at the stars…  Semi-romantic in description, granted, but this bowl of chilli undeniably has a hug-in-a-bowl quality about it.  Feel free to add in more veggies (I just stuck with the basics to avoid any chopping, and it’s already loaded with a wonderful variety of plant-sourced goodness).

Preparation Time - 5 minutes

Cooking Time - 30 minutes

Servings - 4

Ingredients

• 170g (uncooked weight) Just Natural Organic tri colour quinoa
• 2 tbsp Organic Kitchen extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil, if preferred)
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Just Natural Organic garlic granules (or 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced)
• 1 ½ tbsp Just Natural Organic ground chilli
• 2 tsp Just Natural Organic ground cumin
• 1 tsp Just Natural Organic oregano
• 1 tsp Just Natural Organic paprika
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 225g Organic Kitchen passata
• 1 x 400g tin Organic Kitchen chopped tomatoes
• 500ml water; divided 375ml + 125ml
• 1 x 400g tin Organic Kitchen black beans, drained and rinsed
• 150g sweetcorn, canned or frozen
• 30g dark chocolate, 70-90%
• Juice of one lime
• Salt to taste
• Avocado (to serve)
• Dairy-Free Yogurt (to serve)

Directions

1. Place the quinoa and 375ml of water in a pot.  Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add the oil to a separate large pot, over a medium heat. Once hot, add the red onion and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add the spices and herbs, passata, chopped tomatoes, and remaining 125ml of water to the this large pot, bring to the boil, and reduce to a simmer.
4. Stir in the beans, sweetcorn, and cooked quinoa.  Add in the dark chocolate.  Leave to simmer for a further 10 minutes to thicken up.
5. Season to taste with salt. Add the juice of one lime and stir through before serving.
6. Serve topped with chunks of ripe avocado and a healthy dollop of dairy-free yogurt.