Cook Well for Less

Bean & Chickpea Chilli

A straightforward two-bean chilli with rice, made generously so 500 g can be reserved for loaded wedges or burritos.

Prep
15 mins
Cook
35 mins
Total
50 mins
Difficulty
easy
Serves
2
Illustration: Kidney bean and chickpea chilli beside plain rice
Cook Well for Less · AI-generated pencil and watercolour illustration

Get ready

Ingredients for 2 portions

  • 1 medium brown onionchopped
  • 1 bell pepperdeseeded and chopped
  • 1 medium carrotdiced
  • 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 × 400 g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 × 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 120 g long-grain rice, to serve

Optional extras

  • 100 g frozen sweetcorn
Equipment
  • large saucepan
  • saucepan with lid
  • chopping board
  • knife
  • wooden spoon
  • shallow container for the reserved chilli

Cook

Method

  1. Soften the vegetables

    Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, pepper and carrot and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add a splash of water if they begin to catch.

    New to this?How to soften an onion

  2. Add the flavourings

    Stir in the garlic purée, cumin, chilli powder, smoked paprika and tomato purée. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, so the spices do not catch.

  3. Simmer the chilli

    Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, chickpeas, the measured water and sweetcorn if using. Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the chilli is thick but still spoonable. Add a splash more water if it becomes too thick. Taste and add black pepper.

  4. Reserve the next meal

    Before serving, spoon approximately 500 g chilli — roughly two-fifths of the batch — into a shallow container. Cover, cool and get it into the fridge within 2 hours. Use within 48 hours for either Chilli-loaded Potato Wedges or Bean Chilli Burritos, or freeze once cool.

  5. Cook the rice

    While the chilli finishes, cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain if needed and serve promptly.

    New to this?How to cook rice properly

  6. Serve

    Divide the rice and the chilli left in the saucepan between two bowls.

Make it stretch

One chilli, two ways to stretch it

Reserve approximately 500 g—roughly two-fifths of the finished chilli—before serving the first meal.

Use the reserved portion for one distinct two-portion dinner. Choose crisp loaded wedges or four bean-chilli burritos.

See how Make It Stretch works

How to store what you save

  1. Illustration: Crisp potato wedges topped with bean and chickpea chilli

    Loaded wedges

    Chilli-loaded Potato Wedges

    Spoon the steaming-hot reserved chilli over crisp oven wedges, with yoghurt or Cheddar if wanted.

    Cook Chilli-loaded Potato Wedges
  2. Illustration: Four bean chilli and rice burritos, two cut open to show the filling

    Burritos

    Bean Chilli Burritos

    Combine the steaming-hot reserved chilli with freshly cooked rice and roll it into four warm tortilla wraps.

    Cook Bean Chilli Burritos

For later

Storing and using leftovers

Storage

Cool the reserved chilli in a shallow container and get it into the fridge within 2 hours. Use within 48 hours and reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout.

Freezing

Freeze the reserved chilli once cool if you will not use it within 48 hours. Defrost fully in the fridge, then reheat until steaming hot throughout and only reheat once.

Practical guide:How to freeze leftovers safely

Ideas

Choose one second meal for the 500 g reserved chilli—load it onto crisp potato wedges or combine it with freshly cooked rice in burritos.

Community

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