With the Fall weather upon us, I thought it would be good to have some chili, so I made this stovetop lentil chili.
This is a one pot meal that is meatless and tastes fantastic. You won’t even miss having meat in the chili. And lentils are so darn good for you. They have loads of fiber and protein. Then there is the price…$1.34 for a pound at our local Publix supermarket. You just can’t beat it.
The thing about this chili recipe too is that it’s easy to make and takes only 50 minutes start to finish.
The only chopping there is to do is one onion and one green bell pepper. I kept the pieces large on both so they have presence in the dish and a good mouth feel.
I didn’t even break down the large tomato chunks in the stewed tomatoes. They get cooked down and are easily cut with the swipe of your spoon.
We added a little grated colby-jack cheese to top off the chili, but you can skip that to keep the chili purely vegan. A little garnish of cilantro is a tasty addition too.
And Mary Jo’s whole grain muffins are absolutely great with this.
The recipe for this stovetop lentil chili makes a big pot full. We are going to enjoy it again this evening and I’m sure it will taste great as a leftover. Give it a try.
Stovetop Lentil Chili
Ingredients
- 1 med. yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, coarsely shopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup dry brown lentils
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (Bush's)
- 1 16 oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed (Bush's)
- 1 14.5 oz,can stewed tomatoes (Del Monte)
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 3/4 cups water
- cilantro and grated cheese if desired
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or other large pot, add vegetable oil, chopped onion, and chopped green pepper. cook on medium high heat 5 minutes to soften slightly.
- Add the remaining ingredients into the pot, bring to a slight boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils have softened. (Check at 20 or 25 minutes to see how the lentils are coming. You may like them with a slight crunch).
- Remove from the heat and serve garnished with cilantro and grated cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Another chili recipe to consider
We have been enjoying lentils in soups for many years, but for whatever reasons we had not thought about expanding their use in other recipes. I am grateful for the inspiration to use them in new recipes since we really like them and they are so darn healthy!
Hey Al, this chili is really good with the lentils.
This chili is a winner in every way; it not only tastes great, but it costs less than $1 per serving to make, it’s low calorie, low fat, and it’s high in fiber. Leftovers are great for freezing and reheating.