This lentil chili is a hearty, one-pot soup, loaded with peppers, tomatoes, lentil, and plenty of spice! This is a vegan recipe, but the lentils add a nice “meaty” texture to the dish. Packed with paprika, chili powder, cumin, and lots of other seasonings, there is no shortage of flavor.
One-pot soups are wonderful, not only are they super customizable, but they make clean up a breeze. Never worked with dried beans or legumes before? This is a great place to start, in this lentil chili, the lentil require no prep work at all. Simply rinse, this removes and dirt or debris that can sometimes be found in dried beans, and toss into your soup liquid. Since lentils are pretty small, they don’t require a long soaking or cooking time!
If you like this chili recipe, you’ll love these other hearty soups!
Roasted Squash Soup with Herbed Croutons & Toasted Pepitas
Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Instruction for the lentil chili:
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, and bell pepper. Season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in diced jalapeno and minced garlic, saute for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Stir well to combine. At this point season with more salt and pepper if needed. Bring the heat up to high and allow to come to a boil. Once boiling, add in the rinsed lentils and reduce heat to medium-low. Once it is at a gentle simmer, allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. You may need to add more water as the lentils cook and the chili reduces.
Add in the drained kidney beans, black beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer once more, reduce heat to low and allow to cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed, adding a sprinkle of sugar can help to balance out the heat and smokiness.
Serve as is, or top with your favorite chili toppings. Tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro or chives are some of my favorites. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Equipment
- Large Stock Pot
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium red onion, diced
- 1 Medium red or green pepper, diced
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Small jalapeño, seeds removed, small dice
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp Dark chili powder
- 2 Tbsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 2, 15 ounce Cans, petite diced tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 3/4 cup Water or vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup Dry red, yellow, or green lentils, thoroughly rinsed in cold water, and drained
- 1, 15- ounce Can kidney beans, drained
- 1, 15- ounce Can black beans, drained
- 1 15- ounce Can corn, drained
- Fresh chopped cilantro or chives, for garnish
- Avocado, for garnish
- Shredded cheese, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Tortilla chips, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, and bell pepper. Season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in diced jalapeno and minced garlic, saute for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Stir well to combine. At this point season with more salt and pepper if needed. Bring the heat up to high and allow to come to a boil. Once boiling, add in the rinsed lentils and reduce heat to medium-low. Once it is at a gentle simmer, allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. You may need to add more water as the lentils cook and the chili reduces.
- Add in the drained kidney beans, black beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer once more, reduce heat to low and allow to cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed, adding a sprinkle of sugar can help to balance out the heat and smokiness.
- Serve as is, or top with your favorite chili toppings. Tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro or chives are some of my favorites. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Did you make this recipe?
I would love to see it! Take a picture and post to Instagram with the tag @theheartylife and the hashtag #theheartylife
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