Recipe: Black Bean and Quinoa Chilli
- Words by Peppermint
In this, our second recipe from Brisbane-based foodie Clare Scrine’s ‘The Shared Table’, we’re rustling up the kind of delicious one-pot meal you can get going then do other essential chores, eg source wine and welcome guests, before returning to find a hearty meal has magically whipped itself up on the stove. The Shared Table features vegan and veggie recipes to enjoy with friends, and this one is perfect for this Meat-Free Week. Enjoy!
Veggie chilli has been a staple in my diet since I stopped buying meat, and once I discovered how amazing the addition of quinoa is in creating a hearty ‘meat-like’ texture, I haven’t gone back. If you’d prefer to use TVP (textured vegetable protein) or vegan mince, they would both be equally delicious. You could add a tin of corn at the end, some kidney beans, spinach, roasted sweet potato, any veggies that need using up—anything you please. As long as everything gets at least a good half an hour to bubble away, you can’t really go wrong.
I love this chilli bean dish on its own with sour cream or guacamole, and corn chips for dunking, but it’s also great in burritos, enchiladas or atop nachos, too.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 brown onions, diced
2 zucchini (courgettes), diced
1 small capsicum (bell pepper), diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp chilli powder, or to taste
2 tsp dried oregano
3 × 400 g (14 oz) tins black beans, drained
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) vegetable stock
100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) uncooked quinoa
2 × 400 g (14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
½ bunch coriander (cilantro), chopped
Hot chilli sauce, to taste (optional)
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so until they’re golden brown.
Add the zucchini, capsicum (and any other veggies you’re using), garlic and spices and cook for a further 10 minutes. It’s important not to stir too much – only when the veggies on the bottom are browning.
Stir the beans through. Add the stock, quinoa and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture sticking to the pot.
To finish, turn off the heat and stir the fresh coriander through, plus lots of pepper and salt to taste – and a splash of chilli sauce if you’d like a bit of heat.
Note: This recipe uses tinned black beans, but I usually prepare my own. Cooking 220 g (8 oz/1 cup) dried beans until tender in 750 ml–1 litre (25.–34 fl oz/3–4 cups) vegetable stock will yield a similar quantity.
THE SHARED TABLE IS PUBLISHED BY SMITH STREET BOOKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SIMON & SCHUSTER, AND IS AVAILABLE NOW AT ALL GOOD BOOKSHOPS. PHOTOS BY SAVANNAH VAN DER NIET.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
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Fabric: @Spoonflower
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“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
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8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
