When the weather begins to change, and fall breezes start blowing, its chili season. At my house, chili is a staple we eat often. Today, I created a lentil chili recipe that disappeared in minutes. Even though my lentil chili recipe tastes like thick meaty chili, the lentils supply the meat.
Everyone has their own twist on chili. In fact, I make a variety of different chili recipes to mix it up. Lentil chili, however, goes on the top of the chili list, because the texture and level of spice pleased my whole crew! Since I measure how much my family feels about the food I make, I look for leftovers, and tonight, there wasn't a drop of chili left in the pan.
HOW TO MAKE QUICK AND EASY LENTIL CHILI RECIPE
First, I always buy prepared lentils from Trader Joes every time I shop there. Of course, you can prepare your own lentils for lentil chili, but this saves a step in the cooking process.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED?
- White onion
- Garlic
- Red bell pepper
- Jalapeno
- Prepared lentils
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Vegetable broth
- Pinto beans
- Tomato paste
- Fresh corn on the cob (canned or frozen corn can be used as a substitute)
- Chili seasoning
- Maple syrup
In order to prepare the lentil chili recipe, saute the garlic and onions until the onions are translucent. Then, add the prepared lentils, and the remaining ingredients.
Once all the ingredients are combined, in one pot, stir together, and bring to a boil. Next, simply reduce to simmer, cover, and continuing cooking for 20 minutes.
Another option is to cook the lentil chili recipe in the crockpot instead. I love my crockpot, so often I use my crockpot especially when I plan to be gone all day.
HOW TO COOK LENTIL CHILI IN A CROCKPOT IS SO EASY
Cooking lentil chili in a crockpot is just as easy as it is on the stovetop. The choice of time, however, is up to you.
- Place all the ingredients in the base of the crockpot, stir, and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on now for 8-10 hours.
Once prepared, I add a little extra love on top of my lentil chili recipe. Chopped avocado, jalapeno, and tomatoes make for a beautiful garnish.
OTHER POSSIBLE TOPPINGS FOR LENTIL CHILI RECIPE
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Pico de Gallo Recipe
- Fruit Salsa Recipe
- Tomatillo Salsa
- Guacamole
- Diced red onion
- Cilantro
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Charred Corn Salad
GREAT SIDE DISHES FOR LENTIL CHILI
- Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread Recipe
- Corn Fritters
- Mini Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
- Mexican Coleslaw Recipe
- Mexican Chopped Salad
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Chili and Lime Roasted Red Potatoes
IF YOU LOVE VEGAN CHILI, TRY THESE CHILI RECIPES THIS FALL
- Vegan Chili Mac
- Vegan Chili Recipe
- Vegan White Bean Chili
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Pinto Bean Chili
- Crockpot Three-Bean Mega Veggie Chili
- Skinny AF Loaded Chili Fries
Lentil Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño deseeded and diced
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 ½ cups prepared brown lentils I used Trader Joes steamed lentils
- 15 ounces pinto beans
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup optional
- 1 package vegan chili mix
- 2 ears grilled corn or 1 cup frozen or canned corn
Instructions
- In a large pot, saute onions and garlic until translucent.
- Add a little vegetable broth if the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the diced jalapeno, and the lentils.
- If using Trader Joe's steamed lentils, using a wooden spoon, separate the lentils in the pan. As they heat up, the lentils will separate.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and vegetable broth.
- Stir to combine ingredients.
- Then, add the pinto beans, corn, and maple syrup.
- Bring mixture to a bowl.
- Reduce heat to simmer, and cover the pot.
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Serve with toppings if chosen.
CROCKPOT COOKING OPTION
- Add all ingredients to the base of the crockpot and stir, making sure to loosen the prepared lentils as they are added to the mixture.
- Stir together.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous
Anonymous
Lisa Weber
Can I freeze this?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lisa, yes you can freeze the lentil chili. I recommend you leave about 2 inches between the the chili and the top to avoid freezer burn. I hope this helps. Enjoy the chili.