Chillies and chocolate are a classic pairing: the smoky, spicy heat of chillies complements the deep, smooth richness of dark chocolate. Inspired by a savoury chocolate cooking challenge, I developed this vegetarian chilli to showcase that contrast. It’s hearty, slightly smoky and warming, with beans and bulgur providing satisfying texture. This recipe makes a generous batch that freezes well or can be portioned for later. I served it with corn bread, but it also works well with rice, tortillas or a simple green salad.

Vegetarian Chilli with Chocolate

This recipe is flexible — use the vegetables and pulses you prefer. The quantities below yield about 10–12 portions depending on appetites. A few notes before you start:

• Use cooked or canned beans rather than adding dried beans directly to the tomato base. Acids in tomatoes can toughen bean skins, which is why poorly prepared chilli sometimes has hard beans.
• When you cook dried beans, cooked weight is roughly double the dry weight; keep that in mind if you’re substituting canned beans.
• Bulgur (burghul) adds a pleasant texture and helps thicken the chilli.
• I cooked the batch in a 6-litre casserole; a large saucepan will also work.

Ingredients

200g black turtle beans, well soaked (preferably overnight)
250g adzuki beans, well soaked (preferably overnight)
A stick of celery (for cooking beans)
Half an onion, peeled and cut in three (for cooking beans)
2½ onions, peeled (for the chilli base)
30g root ginger, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled (or to taste)
2 chipotle chillies (or to taste)
Vegetable oil for sautéing
2 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled
2 sticks celery, washed and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 x 400g tins good-quality chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp concentrated tomato purée (tomato paste)
100g bulgur wheat
Juice of 1–2 limes (to taste)
75g dark chocolate, 80% cocoa or higher, broken into chunks
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Natural yoghurt or crème fraîche to garnish

Method

First cook the beans. Packet times can be unreliable, so watch them while they cook. I boiled black turtle and adzuki beans separately because their cooking times differed. Put some of the celery stick and half an onion in each pan for flavour. Do not add salt at this stage — salt can make bean skins tough. Cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, topping up with water if necessary. Drain and refresh under cold water to stop further cooking.

While the beans are cooking, finely chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chipotle chillies. Finely chop the fresh coriander stalks if using. Heat a little oil in a large casserole or saucepan and add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. Sauté over medium heat for a minute, then reduce to low, cover and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Dice the carrots, celery and peppers and add them to the pot. Stir to coat in oil and the aromatics, cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the turmeric, ground cardamom, cumin and ground coriander. Fry the spices for a couple of minutes to release their aroma, then add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée. Stir well to combine.

Stir in the cooked beans and bulgur wheat, then add enough water so the beans are just covered. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20–40 minutes until the flavours have melded and the vegetables and beans are at your preferred texture.

Season with lime juice and salt to taste. Sprinkle the dark chocolate over the hot chilli and stir until the chocolate melts and fully incorporates into the sauce, adding a subtle depth and smoothness.

Serve the chilli garnished with chopped coriander leaves and a dollop or swirl of natural yoghurt or crème fraîche to balance the spice.

This vegetarian chilli keeps and freezes well; reheat gently and adjust seasoning with a splash of lime or a little extra yoghurt when serving. Enjoy the balance of smoky chipotle heat and rich chocolate warmth in every bowl.