Bold Flavour with Whole Food Benefits

This richly spiced, oil-free chilli base is a powerhouse of flavour and nourishment, designed to elevate your plant-based meals with depth, warmth, and functional ingredients. It’s crafted from everyday pantry staples, yet delivers a complex profile that’s both comforting and energising.

🧅 Aromatic Foundations for Immune Support
Onion and garlic form the aromatic backbone, offering natural prebiotics that feed beneficial gut bacteria and support immune health. Their sulphur compounds also contribute anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

🔥 Smokey Spice Blend for Circulation & Metabolism
Smoked paprika, cumin, and chilli powder bring warmth and complexity while stimulating circulation and metabolic function. Chilli powder, used to taste, adds capsaicin—a compound known to support fat oxidation and reduce inflammation.

🍅 Tomato Paste & Molasses for Antioxidants & Iron
Tomato paste provides concentrated lycopene, a potent antioxidant associated with heart health and skin protection. Blackstrap molasses adds a subtle sweetness along with iron, calcium, and magnesium—key minerals for energy and bone strength.

🌿 Herbs & Umami for Balance and Depth
Oregano offers antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits, while tamari or soy sauce adds umami richness and essential amino acids. A final squeeze of lemon juice brightens the blend and enhances iron absorption.

💧 Oil-Free, Whole Food Versatility
Made with vegetable stock and hot water instead of oil, this base is ideal for heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory eating patterns. Use it to build nourishing stews, bean dishes, lentil tacos, or roasted vegetable wraps—it’s a flexible foundation for flavour-forward, nutrient-dense meals.

Versatile Smokey Chilli

Janice Carter

A bold, flavour-packed base infused with smoked paprika, cumin, and chilli for gentle heat and depth. Sweet molasses and tomato paste balance the savoury notes, while garlic, onion, and herbs build aromatic richness. Finished with a splash of lemon for brightness, this oil-free blend is perfect for layering into stews, wraps, beans, or roasted veg.

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Course Main Course

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1½ cups raw kidney beans
• 2 brown onions diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup vegetable stock
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chilli powder according to taste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or two tbsp tamari
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 tbsp molasses
• ½ cup hot water
• squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Soak dry beans overnight then drain and rinse and place in a large pot and cover with water that comes 5 cm above the beans. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and allow to simmer for 2 hours. Keep an eye on the water level and add more if it is getting low. Set aside.
• Stirfry the onion and garlic in vegetable stock until soft then stir in the spices and oregano.
• Mix together the soy sauce or tamari, tomato paste, molasses, and hot water and add to the onions and spices.
• Squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Process half the beans to a puree and add the pureed beans along with the whole beans to the sauce.
• Stir well while heating through and serve

Keyword chilli, plant-based, vegan, wfpb

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