Slow-cooked beef and bean chilli with cauliflower mash
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03 Nov 2026

Rich, warming, and packed with flavour, this slow-cooked beef and bean chilli is just the thing for a cosy dinner.
Slow-cooked beef and bean chilli with cauliflower mash
Rich, warming, and packed with flavour, this slow-cooked beef and bean chilli is just the thing for a cosy dinner.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the chilli:
Lean beef mince, approximately 5% fat
400 g
Onion, finely diced
400 g
Celery, finely diced
100 g
Carrots, finely diced
150 g
Garlic cloves, crushed
3
Tomato purée
2 tbsp
Ground cumin
2 tsp
Smoked paprika
2 tsp
Mild chilli powder, or less to taste
1 tsp
Chopped tomatoes tins of 400g
2
Red pepper, deseeded and diced
2
Medium courgette, diced
1
Water (add extra if needed)
200 ml
Kidney beans tin of 400g, drained and rinsed
1
Black beans tin of 400g, drained and rinsed
1
Freshly ground black pepper
For the cauliflower mash:
Cauliflower, cut into florets
500 g
Semi-skimmed milk
30 ml
To serve:
Small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Method - Cook
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add the onion, celery and carrots. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato purée, cumin, smoked paprika and chilli powder. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper, courgette and water. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and cook over a low heat for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if the mixture starts to catch.
- Stir in the kidney beans and black beans. Simmer for a further 30 minutes, partially uncovered if the sauce needs to thicken. Season with black pepper.
- Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower for 12–15 minutes, until very tender. Drain well and let the steam escape for a few minutes. Mash or blend until smooth, adding the milk a little at a time so the mash doesn’t become watery.
- Divide the cauliflower mash between four bowls, spoon over the chilli and scatter with coriander.


