Regarding today’s recipe, nothing could be easier. Even calling for takeout. Because that involves scanning the menu, deciding what you want, calling the takeout place, waiting 30 minutes for the delivery- and even then, it might not be as good as you anticipate. In that same space of time, you could have prepared these easy peasy chilli bowls. They are packed with protein, loaded with nutrients and crammed with flavour. They are all kinds of good for you- gluten free, meat free, cruelty free. In case you missed my big announcement, check out this post.

These bowls are absolutely perfect on a cold winter’s eve, as leftover lunch at work the next day or a post-workout meal. You can prepare this in bulk and freeze individual portions to eat over the course of the week. These are incredibly versatile in the sense that they can be served as comfort food whilst still being formal enough to be served at a dinner party. And with the festive season approaching, these would be perfect for any vegetarian guests who might find themselves at your dinner table this Christmas.

30 Minute Vegetarian Chilli Bowls                                                                                     serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil + extra

1 yellow onion, diced

½ red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup butternut squash/pumpkin, chopped into ½ inch cubes

1 medium baby marrow, chopped into ½ inch cubes

1 medium carrot, diced

1 red pepper, sliced thinly

1 green pepper, sliced thinly

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika (or less if not comfortable with spice)

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp oregano

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp brown sugar

1 14 ounce tin of red kidney beans- any other kind of bean will work e.g butter beans, sugar beans, even a mix of beans is fine

1 14 ounce tin of chopped tomatoes

about ½ cup cheddar for garnish

about ¼ cup mozzarella for garnish

a handful of fresh rosemary for garnish

Method

1. In a large cast iron pot on high heat, fry the red and yellow onion in the olive oil, until the yellow onion is translucent, about 2 minutes
2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the butternut squash, baby marrow, carrot, green and red pepper to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, or until the squash has softened, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the black pepper, salt, paprika, coriander, cumin, rosemary, thyme and oregano to the pot. Stir to coat the veggies with spices and cook for about a minute before adding the tomato paste and brown sugar to the pot and cooking for another minute.
4. Add the red kidney beans and tinned tomatoes to the pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. At this point you can choose to serve immediately, continue to simmer for another hour if you’re not ready to serve, or you can freeze individual portions to serve later. To serve: spoon the desired amount of chilli into a bowl, top with cheddar, mozzarella and rosemary. Can be served with crusty bread and rice.