Slow-cooked Chili con Carne
Your mid-week, nourishing family favourite with minimal prep. This is my version of chili con carne - one-pot, no-chopping, slow-cooked, plus the “cook once, eat twice” philosophy that makes your meal prep mega efficient. Pure comfort: whole‑food ingredients, steady energy release, and a flavour profile that you can adjust to your family's palate.
Ingredients (6-8 portions)
800g grass‑fed, ideally organic beef mince
1 bottle organic tomato passata (approx. 560g)
500g soffritto mix (fresh or frozen onion–carrot–celery)
570g jar cooked beans in stock (if using dry beans: soak for 24h, rinse, and add to the pot with extra water at a 1:3 ratio)
300ml bone broth (chicken or beef — ideally homemade; otherwise fresh/organic store‑bought)
250–300g sliced mixed peppers (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin (or black cumin seeds)
½–1 tsp chili flakes (depending on how hot you like your chili)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil)
Fresh chopped cilantro and chopped fresh chili, to serve
To avoid toxic compounds leaching into your food, when looking for a slow cooker, make sure the inner bowl is good quality ceramic. You can read more about how to choose non-toxic cookware here.
Method
The night before: Combine all ingredients except the mixed peppers and cilantro directly in your cooking pot — soffritto, EVOO, beef mince, beans (and water, if using dried beans), passata, bone broth and spices. Give it a quick stir, pop the lid on, and place the pot in the fridge. This lets the flavours start mingling while you sleep.
In the morning: Transfer the pot into your slow cooker, set it to medium for 8 hours and let it do the work while you get on with your day.
15 min before serving: Add the mixed peppers and stir - NB: adding them last minute keeps their texture vibrant and preserves their vitamin C content.
Serve with fresh chopped cilantro (and fresh chili)
Freeze leftovers in lidded glass containers (individual or family size) that can go straight from freezer to oven, making this the ultimate “cook once, eat twice” meal.
Serving idea: This chili pairs beautifully with polenta squares, quinoa or rice.
Instead of traditional white rice, try a mix of Camargue red rice and wild rice — lower starch, higher protein, more fibre and significantly more antioxidants than standard white or brown rice, making them naturally gluten‑free slow‑carb options that support steadier energy and better metabolic balance.
Serving ideas:
This chili pairs beautifully with polenta squares, quinoa or rice.
Instead of traditional white rice, try a mix of Camargue red rice and wild rice — lower starch, higher protein, more fibre and significantly more antioxidants than standard white or brown rice, making them naturally gluten‑free slow‑carb options that support steadier energy and better metabolic balance.
