Harvest Time Chilli Con Carne
I love chilli con carne, it’s one of my favourite meals (if it’s not too spicy), because minced beef is probably my favourite food. We’ve all been suffering with the usual change in season colds and flu lately so I wanted to find a way to add some nutrition through fresh veg to this family favourite. I also know that by adding a huge amount of seasonal vegetables to this dish I’d be able to make enough to eat straight away, but also stock the freezer with too.
If you aren’t into pumpkin soup but still wanted a way to use up the pumpkin from your carvings this month then this is a super easy way to cook it. The flavours are mixed with the spices of the chilli so it’s great for fussy eaters too. This chilli con carne recipe could easily be made as a vegetarian dish if you didn’t want to use minced beef, just add a second tin of beans. And don’t be afraid to swap in your own favourite veg too - I was just working with what I had on the day from the fridge, the garden, and our recent pumpkin picking session.
This recipe made 5-6 portions - we ate three (2 very large adult portions and one toddler size), plus I filled a dish for the freezer which will be two more generous portions for another day.
INGREDIENTS
A large mix of vegetables, finely chopped: 1 courgette, 4-5 handfuls of pumpkin, 2 small sticks of celery, 2 big carrot
1 large homegrown red onion
1 big garlic clove (or two small)
750g lean minced beef
300ml stock (made with 1 beef and 1 vegetable stock cube)
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
Mild chilli powder
Ground cumin
400g tin of beans, rinsed and drained (cannelloni or kidney beans)
METHOD
In a non stick pan, heat a glug of olive oil over a fairly high heat. Add all of the vegetables, onion and garlic, and stir until starting to soften (be patient, this may take up to 10 minutes)
Add the minced beef , chilli powder, cumin and some salt and pepper, and stir on the heat until browned
Add the stock mix and chopped tomatoes, mix together and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes
Add the beans and simmer until almost all of the liquid has gone (a further 10-15 minutes)
Transfer half of the chilli to a freezable dish, and serve the rest with rice and grated cheese
