Lentil Chili
Over the past few winters, a recipe for lentil chili has become an absolute staple in my household, and it’s really no mystery why. We’re somewhere between flexitarian and vegan, and this protein-packed chili is an easy go-to when we’re looking for some hearty fuel in the midst of our chilly north-east winters. It also is a “one-pot” recipe, making big-batch cooking not only super easy, but super fun. Finally, I’m a sucker for a dish with an endless list of garnishes and accoutrements, and chili 100% fits the bill. Citrus, crunchy chips, fresh diced onion, slices of jalapeño, shredded cheese, avocado, it never ends—and I want it all! So! Get out your heaviest pot and call over some friends (or maybe, for now, just send them some Tupperware) because this chili feeds a crowd and soothes the soul!
Ingredients
Makes: 6-8 servings
2 medium yellow onions: finely chopped
4 cloves garlic: minced
1 red onion: finely chopped for garnish
2 Jalapeños: 1 seeded and diced, the other left for garnish (thin slices)
1 red bell pepper: diced
1 green bell pepper: diced
4 tbsp chili powder or DIY Spice Mix (see below)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Olive Oil: or other neutral oil
1 cup dry lentils
2 15oz cans or 1 32oz can crushed/diced tomatoes
2 ½ cups vegetable stock
Hot sauce of choice: optional, to taste
1 15oz can black beans or 2 cups cooked: drained, rinsed
1 15oz can kidney beans or 2 cups cooked: drained, rinsed
1 15oz can or 2 cups of corn: drained
1 avocado: thinly sliced for garnish
1 small bunch cilantro: finely chopped for garnish
Salt: to taste
1 lime: cut into wedges for garnish
DIY Spice Mix: makes 4 tbsp
1 ½ tsp Cumin
¾ tsp Coriander
1 ½ tsp Garlic Powder
¾ tsp Onion Powder
1 ½ tsp Oregano
2 ½ tsp Paprika
¾ tsp Cayenne
¾ tsp White Pepper
1 ½ tsp Salt
Preparation:
Prepare all of your ingredients! This recipe definitely embodies the concept of “low and slow”, but the beginning happens very quickly! This means chopping up your yellow onions, garlic, jalapeño, and bell peppers, making sure all of your cans of beans are drained and rinsed, as well as your corn, and measuring out your vegetable stock, lentils, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar as well. And, if you don’t have chili powder, make sure your DIY Spice Mix is prepared. Ok! The hard part is over!
In a large, heavy pot, pour in approximately 3 tbsp of oil, and set your pot to medium-high heat. Once hot, add in your onions with a pinch of salt and stir.
Once your onions have sautéed just beyond translucent and have begun to brown, add in your garlic, corn, jalapeño, and bell peppers, as well as another generous pinch of salt, and stir to combine.
After 4-5 minutes (or until the peppers no longer taste raw), mix in your tomato paste and spice mix, and lower the flame to medium. Since you now have (relatively) dry spices in the pot, you want to make sure you’re stirring every 10-15 seconds.
After another 3-4 minutes, add in your vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and stir to combine. If your pot is enameled, make sure to use a wooden spatula or spoon to scrape up the bits stuck to the bottom (you don’t want to scrape off the enamel!!).
Once combined, stir in your black and kidney beans, as well as your lentils.
Reduce the flame to low, and cover.
This should cook for around 1.5hrs. Be sure to open and stir, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom, every 20-30 minutes or so.
While this is cooking, begin prepping your garnishes! Dice your red onion, thinly slice your jalapeño, slice your avocado, and finely chop your cilantro.
After approximately 1.5 hours, add any salt or hot sauce to taste (I say “or” because hot sauces are often quite salty on their own), stir well, and enjoy!
I personally think fresh squeezed lime juice is the most critical garnish, so make sure to give a squeeze of each bowl you enjoy!
Best Practices:
As always:
Avoid packaged produce, or really anything packaged for that matter. This is not to say that you’ll always have the option, but when you do, go for it! For example, you may sometimes see onions in plastic bags, garlic in nylon mesh, or jalapeños in plastic cling-wrap. These are all typically available without the plastic! Additionally, we have referenced canned beans and corn and tomatoes because those fresh/dry ingredients aren’t always available, but if they are, we encourage you to take the opportunity to buy in bulk and package-free! Did you know that dry beans can also reduce the shipping impacts of your beans? Read more in one of our early quick swap articles!
Try to bring your own bags when you go shopping for these ingredients, and choose local, in-season produce when you can.
Make sure you’re not buying more than you think you’ll reasonably use! Things like the onions, garlic, and beans will last for a while if stored properly, so with those if you buy a bit more than you needed, you’ll have plenty of time to use them in the future. But the jalapeños, fresh cilantro, and avocados will go bad if you don’t use them relatively quickly, so purchase with care!
These ingredients have been chosen with several things in mind:
We are posting this recipe in late fall / early winter because nearly all of these ingredients are available year round or commonly in a shelf-stable form (like the canned goods). That said, as always, we encourage you to shop as locally and seasonally as possible, and if that means you need to improvise with some ingredients or choose to add something you have fresh on hand, we’re all for it!
As we mentioned before, lots of these ingredients are available in shelf-stable forms, and are thus available year round. This includes the beans, which can be bought dried or canned, corn which may either be in season or is available canned, and the stock which may be made from frozen veggies scraps you accumulate throughout the year!
Many chili recipes include various forms of meat or animal products, but ours remains vegan with no shortage of protein from the lentils and beans.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know! If you really loved it, share it on social media and tag us (@groundedgrub), or, better yet, share it with your friends and family!