Delicious Lentil Chili

Delicious Lentil Chili

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
  • Servings: 6-8
  • About This Recipe

    “A rich savory vegetarian chili that’s easy to make and smells wonderful. High in fiber and low in fat. It even looks like meaty chili (see pic!). Serve topped with cheese, onions and sour cream with cornbread or chips for a satisfying meal!”

    Ingredients

  • 1lbdry lentils
  • 1teaspoonsalt
  • 5cupswater
  • 1 (16ounce) cans tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tablespoonschili powder
  • 1teaspooncumin
  • 1/4 teaspoonoregano
  • 1mediumonion, chopped
  • 2stalkscelery, chopped
  • 2clovesgarlic, minced
  • 3/4 cupcold water
  • Directions

  • Boil water.
  • Add salt and lentils.
  • Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes.
  • Do not drain.
  • Add tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion, celery, garlic and cold water.
  • Cover and continue to cook over low heat for an additional 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
  • Turn off heat, taste for seasoning.
  • I add about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
  • Top with shredded cheese, chopped onion and a dollop of sour cream or whatever you usually put on your favorite chili!
  • Reviews

  • “This really tasted delicious. As I am on a non-fat diet I suppressed the grated cheese and sprinkled some lemon juice. I served it wiht couscous”

  • “This is sooooo good n light. Not heavy in your stomach like regular chili with ground beef. I only added half a sliced onion and 1 garlic clove n it was perfect. But to me what made it even better was after turning the stove off I added chopped cilantro and some corn. Thanks so much for this recipe.”

  • “Very good! I added more of all the spices for our preferences and cooked for a bit longer after step 5, as well. I used Fire-Roasted canned Tomatoes.
    VERY GOOD!”

  • “I was looking for an alternative to a normal vegan chili. This is awesome! Even my non-veg husband loved it. I did add some cayenne powder & more chili powder than it called for to give it a kick!”

  • “I was really surprised my husband like this as much as he does. He’s not a huge fan of beans and is a huge fan of meat. He really liked it though. I put it in Crockpot for 8 hrs on low. I added a can of black beans with the liquid. I used 4 cups of my homemade frozen turkey stock and 1 cup of water. I did add the last 3/4 c of water. I just threw everything in and even threw in the stock frozen. Didn’t have enough onions, so I used some dried (we love onion and I couldn’t bear leaving it out). I also threw in a few shakes of red pepper flakes. I didn’t have any celery so I added some mushrooms and frozen corn in the last hour. I put in like 2 1/2 tbsp of garlic, we love garlic too. It came out just the right consistency, not hardly watery at all. We ate this with cornbread and it was the perfect meal. Love that this is a relatively inexpensive meal since I have most of the ingredients in my pantry.”

  • “Very good recipe!Even my boyfriend who hates lentils enjoyed this dish.Very filling dish.Based on other reviews, I added 1 can of red kidney beans.Other than that, I stuck straight to the recipe.I will be making this one again.I think its going to be a new wintertime favorite.”

  • “*oHmIgOd* – This stuff rocks the veg world – I doubled the recipe and took a reviewer’s suggestion, tossing in dark red kidney beans and tomato paste, then shook some tabasco in as well – with cheddar and sour cream (both fat free) this recipe’s amazing! As a veg-head, it’s awesome to finally find a veggie chile that actually TASTES like chili! Thank you thank you thank you guys!”

  • “i tweaked some things here and there, having dealt with lentils before.I like lentils, my husband doesn’t.To start I simmered the lentils in beef broth (in place of the salt/water), then because I was out of chili powder, I dumped 1 package of taco seasoning in place of the chili powder, cumin and oregano.I added the remainding water to the desired consistency.I also added 1 can of dark red kidney beans, equivalent of 1 can of frozen corn, 1 diced green bell pepper, 1 diced jalapeno and some cayenne pepper to taste.It was great.Leftovers tasted better the next day.I ate this with fritos and shredded cheddar.Yum!I only rated it a 4,because I think it would have been a little boring without my additions/changes, but the basic recipe was adaptable.”

  • “This is the only lentil recipe I have made that my family will eat.We really enjoy it with cheese and sour cream.The leftovers make good burritos too.”

  • “I enjoyed this but my family wasn’t as found of it because it didn’t have meat. I did change this a bit, I used a can of tomatoes with green pepper and onion so I didn’t add the additional onion. I also didn’t have celery. I only added a tablespoon of chili powder as I don’t like things too spicy and I didn’t add the water as I like my chili thick. I really enjoyed it topped with some cheddar cheese.”

  • “I have to admit, I was skeptical of this recipe, but we were pleasantly surprised!It turned out great, and was really yummy.The only thing I might change is to add another can of tomatoes and some extra water or broth.Otherwise it’s a little bit thick.Thanks for adding something new to my menu!”

  • “Great recipe. It has become a staple in our house!”

  • “I’ve been making this for years- it’s a family favorite.I do the recipe exactly as directed, but I do cook it longer.Sometimes I just throw everything into the crockpot at once- that works, too.Thanks!”

  • “This was hearty and super good, but there is no way that I would mistake it for having meat in it!I added a small can of tomato sauce and a small can of tomato paste.I also cooked it 30-45 minutes longer and at a higher temp.Next time I will add more celery and onions, too.It was really great though, and I love having a new vegan recipe!”

  • “I’ve been wanting to incorporate more meatless meals in my diet & this recipe I know I’ll repeat.I followed it exactly — the only thing I did differently was let it simmer longer than 30 minutes after step 5.The only other thing I might do differently next time is to add the celery sooner.I topped mine with cheddar cheese, next time I’ll make sure to have some cornbread to go with.I’m giving it 5 stars as the flavor was very satisfying & I didn’t miss the meat at all.Thanks for posting this Sara, it’s going in my file.”

  • “Great vegan chili!I added a can of dark kidney beans,a small can of tomato paste, and 1 chopped red bell pepper.Needed lots of ‘bulk’ to fool a meat eater!We like our chili very thick so I added masa flour at the end until it was the desired thickness.Topped with a bit of soy cheese and served with toasted corn tortillas and it was great.Very “meaty.”No one suspected it was meatless until I told them.We like our chili very spicy so I served with chopped serrano peppers and cayenne to taste.”

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