You will have a smoky and spicy Three-Bean Chilli in just 20 minutes with our simple recipe that mostly uses store cupboard ingredients! We serve it with crusty garlic bread slices and top it with yoghurt for an ultimate Mexican-inspired feast! With three different beans at play, you will get most of your daily protein from this lovely filling and hearty bowl of food! Furthermore, it is the perfect recipe for meal prep and freezing!
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Does anybody really need another bean chilli recipe? Probably not. But since you’re reading this recipe, I’m assuming the answer to that question is YES. I’m not sure about you, but for me, it’s difficult to get too excited about a bean dish. When I read beans, I think jacket potatoes or beans on toast! But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Our Three-Bean Chilli recipe is just as simple, but packs in a lot of exciting flavours! Yes, I’m talking all things smoky, like chipotle and smoked paprika! Instead of rice, we serve our chilli bowls with some lovely crusty garlic bread, that is just perfect for scooping the beans and mopping up the sauce at the end!
There’s another huge advantage of this recipe. I’ve priced it (UK supermarket prices as of Jan 2021), and it costs about £1.20 per portion, and that includes the garlic bread!
To Make the Three-Bean Chilli:
Start by chopping your garlic cloves finely. Then deseed and slice your peppers (you can use any colour peppers you have). Then drain all the beans in a large colander and run plenty of cold water through them to remove excess starch and sodium.

Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic, sliced peppers and brown sugar. Cook on low-medium heat for 6 minutes until pepper just starts to soften.
Add the smoked paprika, chipotle and tomato pastes and stir to coat the peppers. Cook for about a minute, then add the drained and rinsed beans.
Tip in a tin of chopped tomatoes, add 300ml of water and stir. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 10 minutes. The sauce should reduce and thicken slightly.
When cooked, use a potato mashed to crush some of the beans into the sauce to create a creamy and thick consistency.

Divide the chilli between bowls and top with dairy-free yogurt (or creme fraiche), (vegan) cheese and spring onion!

To Make Garlic Bread:
In a bowl, mix dairy-free spread (or butter) with a pinch of salt, finely chopped garlic and parsley.
Place the slices of bread under the grill for 1-2 minutes until browned. Take them out, flip them over so that the untoasted side is up. Spread the herby mixture and pop back under the grill for another minute.
Did you like our Three Bean Chilli Bowl? Have a look at our other recipes that use chilli in various forms:
- Miso Aubergine (Vegan)
- Spicy Bean Stew with Cheesy Dumplings
- Crispy Chilli Beef
- Ultimate Halloumi Burgers with Chimichurri Mayonnaise

Three Bean Chilli Bowl
Ingredients
For the Three-Bean Chilli:
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 peppers sliced
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp chipotle paste
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tins kidney beans (2x400g) drained and rinsed
- 1 tin canellini beans (400g) drained and rinsed
- 1 tin butter beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
- 2 spring onions sliced, to garnish
- 4 tbsp unsweetened (dairy-free) yogurt to garnish
- 60 g (vegan) cheese grated
For Herby Garlic Bread:
- 4 slices of crusty bread we used sourdough
- 50 g dairy-free spread or butter room temperature
- 15 g parsley finely chopped, including stalks
- a pinch of salt
- 1 large garlic clove
Instructions
To Make the Three-Bean Chilli:
- Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic, sliced peppers and brown sugar. Cook on low-medium heat for 5 minutes until peppers start to soften.
- Add the smoked paprika, chipotle and tomato pastes and stir to coat the peppers. Cook for about a minute, then add the drained and rinsed beans.
- Tip in a tin of chopped tomatoes, add 300ml of water and stir. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 10 minutes. The sauce should reduce and thicken slightly.
- When cooked, use a potato mashed to crush some of the beans into the sauce to create a creamy and thick consistency.
- Divide the chilli between bowls and top with dairy-free yoghurt (or creme fraiche), (vegan) cheese and spring onion!
To Make Garlic Bread:
- In a bowl, mix dairy-free spread (or butter) with a pinch of salt, finely chopped garlic and parsley.
- Place the slices of bread under the grill for 1-2 minutes until browned. Take them out, flip them over so that the untoasted side is up. Spread the herby mixture and pop back under the grill for another minute.
Nutrition
