Chipotle pinto bean stew
Try this smoky chipotle bean stew for a satisfying veggie dinner. You can make this in half an hour using tinned beans but dried beans do come out a bit cheaper. Dr Rupy's recipe is great served with tortilla chips and his quick pickles, and only costs around 50p per portion to make.
Each serving provides 404 kcal, 18g protein, 51g carbohydrate (of which 12g sugars), 13g fat (of which 5.5g saturates), 4g fibre and 1.1g salt.
Ingredients
- 250g/9oz dried pinto beans or 2 x 400g tins pinto beans, drained
- olive oil, for frying
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp chipotle paste (approx. 20g/¾oz)
- 30g/1oz tomato purée
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 200g/7oz frozen sweetcorn (or tinned sweetcorn, drained)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- 50g/1¾oz pickled jalapeño chillies, drained (optional)
- 150ml/5fl oz soured cream or yoghurt (plant-based, if you prefer)
- pinch smoked paprika (optional)
- wholemeal flour tortilla wraps, made into chips (optional)
Method
If you’re using dried pinto beans, tip them into a large bowl or saucepan, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight. Drain the beans in a colander, rinse thoroughly, then tip into a pan and cover with plenty of fresh cold water. Set over a high heat, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, or until soft. Drain and set aside to cool.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a casserole or large saucepan and fry the onion, celery and garlic gently for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the cumin and cinnamon, fry for 30 seconds, then stir in the chipotle paste and tomato purée. Fry for a further minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, stock cube and pinto beans.
Pour in 200ml/7fl oz water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the sweetcorn and cook for a couple of minutes more to warm through. Season to taste.
Spoon the stew into warmed bowls, then top with the jalapeños, soured cream and a pinch of smoked paprika. Serve with homemade tortilla chips for dipping.
Recipe Tips
If you have young children who don't like spicy food, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika for the chipotle paste. You can also stir the chipotle paste into adult portions right before serving. It will taste just as good.
Tinned beans work just as well for this dish; use whatever you have in the cupboard. If you don’t have pinto, try using kidney beans or black beans.
When soaking dried beans overnight, it’s always best to make a big batch. Once cooked and cooled they can be portioned and frozen. Freeze the beans on a baking tray and then pour them into a bag. This makes it easy to scoop out the amount you need.
