Creamy Quinoa & Black Bean Chilli

This is very thick, creamy and flavourful, with just a hint of heat. I keep it mild because my son is not a fan of spice but feel free to add more chilli powder to kick it up a notch. The combination of the quinoa and almond cream make this very thick so that if you put it in tortillas you don’t get it dripping out the end making a mess! As well as making it deliciously creamy of course.

I use almonds to make the cream because my daughter reacts to cashews but cashews would be amazing too.

Yum

Creamy Quinoa & Black Bean Chilli

Recipe by:
Yield:
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 c almonds 2 onions 1-2 c finely chopped or grated veg (optional - grated carrot and/or chopped capsicum work well) 1 Tbsp minced garlic 1 Tbsp paprika 2 tsp coriander 1 Tbsp cumin ½ tsp chili powder* 1 tsp oregano ½ c uncooked quinoa 3 cans of black beans, drained & rinsed (or cook 1.5 cups of dried beans) 1 c tomato paste 4 c water 1 c frozen corn salt to taste (start with 1 ½ tsp)

Directions

  1. First, get the almonds soaking. Place in a bowl and pour on enough boiling water to cover completely. Set aside.
  2. Dice the onion and fry using a little oil or water in a large pot.
  3. When onion is starting to soften add veges if using and saute for a few more minutes
  4. Add minced garlic and spices. Saute for another minute.
  5. Add quinoa, beans, water and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20-25 mins, stirring occasionally to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add the frozen corn to the pot and stir through.
  7. Drain the almonds, add to blender with 1 c fresh water and blend until smooth.
  8. Add the almond cream to the chilli and stir through.

*Note this is fairly mild - feel free to add more chilli powder to taste.