SERVES 6 | IBS-FRIENDLY | VEGETARIAN & VEGAN | GLUTEN-FREE

A warming autumnal bowl of goodness for your gut, bursting with flavours that are sure to make your mouth water

I had the amazing opportunity to work with the UK’s first and only gut health subscription service The Gut Feeling to create this delicious recipe that I’m sharing with you…

Filled with flavoursome spices and vibrant orange colours, this is the ultimate warming autumn dish. It’s the sort of meal that you look forward to coming home and snuggling up with after a long day out in the cold. If you like heat, add a sliced red chilli; however, if you prefer a mild version or your stomach is sensitive to too much spice, leave all chilli out completely. It’s great for batch cooking and hosting dinner parties too and is sure to impress your friends and family. A simple yet satisfying meal.

Pinto beans are an excellent source of dietary fibre which is imperative for healthy digestion as it helps to feed the good bacteria in your gut. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals. In particular, they offer a good dose of iron which supports good bacteria in the gut, magnesium which reduces inflammation in the gut and potassium which encourages efficient digestion by helping the brain to communicate with muscles located in the digestive system.

Plus, the array of spices not only make this dish extremely tasty, but they also boost your gut microbiome and digestive health.

Are your taste buds tingling yet?

Ingredients

• 500g sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into bite-size chunks
• 180g quinoa
• 400g dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
• 400g can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tsps ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Salt and pepper
• 150g spinach
• Rocket or baby spinach leaves for decoration

Method

• Ensure you have soaked the pinto beans for at least 6-8 hours or overnight as this is an important step.
• Firstly, place the potatoes in a pan of cold water and bring it to the boil. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until you can easily slice a knife through them. Drain them well.
• Place the potatoes in a large pan, then add the garlic, turmeric, coriander, chilli, ginger, coconut milk, tomato purée and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper. Next, add the quinoa with a mug of just-boiled water (300ml).
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, place the lid on and allow everything to cook for 10 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes.
• Add the pinto beans and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. When there are just 5 minutes left, stir through the spinach until it wilts. 
• Once the quinoa has cooked and is fluffy, not crunchy, it’s ready. Garnish with a few rocket or spinach leaves and serve with a vegan wholemeal wrap or chapati, if desired.

TIP: If you forget to soak the pinto beans (like I did), simply rinse your beans, add them to a pan of water, using a ratio of 3 cups of water for every cup of beans, bring the beans to the boil and let them cook for two minutes. Then, cover the pot, remove it from the heat and let the beans soak for at least an hour.

What is The Gut Feeling?

Founder Lucie Hayter launched The Gut Feeling following a battle with extreme bloating which led to countless appointments with specialists and experimenting with dietary changes in an effort to improve her gut health. Her personal experience made her want to raise awareness of gut health and help others. Now run by a knowledgeable team of gut health enthusiasts, The Gut Feeling is the UK’s first and only gut health subscription service. Subscribe or find out more on their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @thegutfeelinguk.

Tried this? Want to share your favourite autumn dish? Get in touch.

Recipe adapted from: Deliciously Ella Every Day