Smokey Blues Chilli
‘Tasty, tasty, tasty. We thoroughly enjoyed our Smokey blues chilli tonight. Highly recommended.’
Rik T, Kendal; Food Customer
Table of Contents
✨ Before We Begin…
Smoky paprika, pulses, and a splash of vinegar give this chilli its depth and balance. It’s bold without being overpowering — a dish to warm weeknights, welcome friends, or ladle over rice for a satisfying staple.
‘Must be best food offer, of any genre, in Kendal. Hugely accomplished cooking and very much recommended.’
Tony P, Kendal; Food Customer
The Cook’s Mind
What This Recipe Helps You Practise
- Toasting and balancing spices for warmth and depth.
- Cooking pulses so they soak up flavour rather than sit on top.
- Using sugar and vinegar to create balance and brightness.
- Adjusting consistency with stock without losing flavour.
- Building a complete plate with fresh salsa and crunchy sides.
Make-Ahead
- Reheats well and sits happily in the fridge.
- Can be cooked earlier in the day for serving later.
Freezer-Friendly
- Allow to cool fully before freezing.
- For best results, add beans on the day of serving.
Key Substitutions
- Chickpeas: use black beans or pinto beans instead.
- Red kidney beans: use butter beans for a softer texture.
- Liquid smoke: substitute smoked paprika for similar flavour.
Cooking Parlance
- Sweating onions: cooking gently with salt to draw out sweetness.
- Reducing: simmering uncovered so liquid thickens and flavours intensify.
Ingredient Focus
✨ Chickpeas — steady and nourishing.
To Ingredient Focus: Chickpeas
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with rice and a bright sweetcorn salsa.
- Pair with tortilla chips for scooping and crunch.
- Add fresh herbs and lemon wedges for lift and balance.
Multi-Purpose Recipe
This recipe has more than one life…
- Transform into a soup with stock for a lighter bowlful.
- Serve as a side alongside grilled vegetables or flatbreads.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s hearty, smoky, and comforting without being heavy.
- Budget-friendly and freezer-ready for future meals.
- Flexible enough to serve with rice, tortilla chips, or fresh salad.
Watch It Being Made
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Introduction
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Handpicked to Go With This One
A few recipes that play well together — flavour friends, not just neighbours.
- Campfire Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli
- Blessed Vegan Garlic Bread – Cooking Hacks To Up Your Game
- Oven-Roasted Jersey Royal Potatoes
- Perfectly Cooked Rice
- Dark Chocolate Mousse With Forest Fruit Ripples
Waste Less: How To Use Up Your Ingredient Stash!
Got something spare — a handful, a spoonful, or the end of a packet? These tags help you find other ways to use it. It’s a small step toward cooking intuitively and wasting less❣️
agave syrup, apple cider vinegar, chickpeas, chilli powder, fresh garlic, ground cumin, liquid smoke, paprika, red kidney beans, red onion, smoked paprika, tomato purée, tomatoes, white miso paste, white wine vinegar
Smokey Blues Chilli Recipe
Smokey Blues Chilli
Smoky paprika and hearty pulses make this chilli stand out from the usual offerings. Great with tortilla chips and fresh salsa, it’s a comforting standby that’s bold without being overpowering.
Photographed truthfully. If you cook it, yours will look like mine.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the chilli
- 250 g red onion | unpeeled weight
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 10 ml olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- water | to add to the pan if the spices start looking too dry
- 5 g golden caster sugar
- 5 ml liquid smoke
- 10 g miso paste | or marmite
- 16 g tomato purée
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- 400 g plum tomatoes
- 240 g chickpeas | drained weight
- 240 g red kidney beans | drained weight
Ingredients for the spice mix
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
Ingredients for the salad dressing
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2½ tsp agave syrup | or maple syrup
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
To serve
- rice
- sweetcorn salsa | chunks of tomato, cucumber & sweetcorn
- salad dressing | to dress the salsa
- plain tortilla chips
- fresh parsley | or coriander
- lemon | wedges
Instructions
Cook onion and garlic; add spice mix
- Peel the onion and dice chop.250 g red onion
- Peel and slice the garlic.2 cloves fresh garlic
- Add onions and garlic to low-medium heat fry pan with oil and start to cook with a pinch of salt.10 ml olive oil, 1 pinch salt
- Mix the spices in a small bowl, add the spice mix to the pan, and continue to cook; just keep the pan on low.½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp paprika, 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- If you need to, add some water if it’s looking dry/hard/raw.water
Remaining ingredients in; cook
- Add the sugar and let it melt, then add the other ingredients listed.5 g golden caster sugar, 5 ml liquid smoke, 10 g miso paste, 16 g tomato purée, 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- Add the canned tomatoes and break up with a spoon. Cook and reduce to darken and thicken.400 g plum tomatoes
Chickpeas and beans in; remaining prep
- Add the chickpeas and kidney beans, and simmer to warm through.240 g chickpeas, 240 g red kidney beans
- Prepare chunks of tomato and cucumber, and mix with sweetcorn.sweetcorn salsa, salad dressing
- Make the salad dressing: dissolve the salt in the vinegar, and then add the remaining ingredients.15 ml white wine vinegar, 1 pinch salt, 30 ml extra virgin olive oil, 2½ tsp agave syrup, 1 pinch ground black pepper
- Chop the fresh herb and lemon wedges.fresh parsley, lemon
To serve
- Serve with rice, the sweetcorn salsa drizzled with some dressing, tortilla chips, chopped herb and lemon wedge.rice, plain tortilla chips
Notes
- During the making, after tasting, I added another half teaspoon of salt and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. Trust your palate and get used to tasting!
- Multi-purpose: serve as a main; to make into soup, add 200-400ml of stock. You might need more, depending on how thick you like your soup. If you add too much water, just simmer with the lid off; the water will soon leave! Or if you like it watery but not thin, add one or two teaspoons of cornflour diluted with a little water. Adding water will reduce the flavour from any herbs or spices added to the dish. Don’t forget this! There’s no rule against adding the herbs and spices again in the same ratios. I will always do that if I add water.
- Freezer-friendly: allow to cool, put into a container with a tight lid, and freeze. Freezing will intensify the flavour. If planning to freeze, omit the chick peas and red kidney beans and add those on the day of eating.
- Make-ahead: reheats well and sits happily in the fridge.
- Any remaining herb, chop up and put into storage boxes and pop into the fridge. I find supermarket herbs prepped and stored this way last a fair few days.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 156mgPotassium: 832mgFiber: 12gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1492IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 5mg
Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition is per serving. Information is for the main recipe, not optional accompaniments.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
COPYRIGHT
© The Golden Polar Bear, 2025. Recipes and photography by Julia Savory. If you share this, please pass it along with kindness and if possible share a link back to this site. #ForTheAnimals
Photographed truthfully. If you cook it, yours will look like mine.
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