If you joined us on our 50th anniversary golden bus tour last year, you’ll have seen our brilliant chef, Sal, keeping everyone entertained and well fed during the live cooking demonstrations.

Well, now Sal’s back – this time cooking in isolation from her sister’s kitchen – with a series of special ‘cook-in’ recipe videos, as filmed by her nieces on their mobile phones!

As we’re all trying to shop less and make money go further, in these videos Sal helps us to make the most of whatever Free Food we’ve already got in our cupboards, fridges and freezers. Last week was a classic spag bol, and this week we’ve got another family favourite – with a vegetarian twist.

Watch out for Sal’s game-changing tips on how to chop peppers and garlic!

On the menu this week is Slimming World mixed bean vegetarian chilli. Sal tells us more…

“Hi everyone, Sal here. This week I’m cooking a fantastic vegetarian chilli, which uses mixed beans instead of the usual beef mince. Like last week’s spag bol, chilli is one of those easy midweek meals that we all know and love, and making a vegetarian version means that everyone can enjoy this Mexican favourite.

Whether you’re vegetarian or not, this meat-free meal is brilliant for using up those cans of beans at the back of the cupboard! Canned mixed beans are super-convenient, but you can add whatever variety you like. Canned lentils and chickpeas also work well and, if you’ve got children, good old baked beans are sure to get the thumbs-up from even the fussiest eaters.

Another great tip for those cooking for a family is to serve the kids first, then add a dash of Tabasco sauce or a few fresh chilli slices for those who like an extra kick.

If you have any left over, this chilli tastes great reheated as a jacket potato topping for lunch. Although in my house, leftovers are a very rare thing!

This vegetarian chilli is one of those fail-safe favourites that turns out tasty every time. It’s also done and dusted in just a few steps! I hope you love it as much as I do. Please join in and cook along with me from your kitchen. And remember to check back, as I’ll be doing a cook-in video every week throughout May.”

Sal’s vegetarian chilli tips

Cutting the pepper as I’ve demonstrated in the video means there’s no waste because everything is used, apart from the stalk and seeds.
If you’re not a fan of chopping, just pop your prepped onion, pepper, garlic and courgette in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Frozen chopped onion or peppers also work well.
You can use chopped fresh tomatoes if you don’t have canned. Just add a little extra tomato purée or some passata.
If you want more veg, add cubed, peeled butternut squash instead of one of the cans of beans. Frozen butternut squash (with all the hard work done for you!) is a great time-saver.
If you’ve got whole spices and you don’t have a pestle and mortar, put them in a paper bag and roll with the side of a can to crush.

Slimming World mixed bean vegetarian chilli

Serves 4
FREE
Ready in 40 minutes

What you need:

1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 pepper (any colour), deseeded and chopped
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
1 heaped tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 medium courgette, grated or finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 400g cans mixed beans, drained
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 vegetable stock cube
small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

What you do:

1. Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper and a splash of water and fry for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the coriander, pour in 400ml water and season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Stir well, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are cooked through. Stir in the coriander and serve straight away with rice, veg or salad.

Please join in, cook along and let us know how you get on – we’d love to see what you’re creating, how you’ve made it work for you and the ingredients you’ve got. And you can share your pics on social media, too, using #EatWellAtHome

For more great recipes – or to find out how to join Slimming World – head to slimmingworld.co.uk