Lentil Chili Recipes

TURKEY-LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• Bring lentils and vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, celery, and sausage; cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, thyme, and red pepper flakes; cook 5 minutes more.
• Stir the sausage mixture into the simmering lentils. Continue simmering until the lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped parsley to serve.

BEEF AND LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook ground beef and onion, crumbling meat, over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Add next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Add lentils and water. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until lentils are soft, about 1 hour, stirring often. Add water if mixture seems too dry.

EASY LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• Combine lentils and 7 cups of water in a Dutch oven.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
• Peel and chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic, and put it in a small bowl with all the spices.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a minute, then add the seasonings.
• Stir in 2 cups of water with the onions. Add the onion mixture to the lentils.
• Partially cover and cook for 45 minutes more, stirring every 10 minutes until thick.
• Add the vinegar and sprinkle with a little chopped cilantro if desired.

SKYLINE LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• Mix chili powder, garlic powder, unsweetened chocolate, cinnamon, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, allspice, cloves, and bay leaf together in a bowl until seasoning mix is well combined.
• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir onions and green bell pepper until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth and lentils; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in seasoning mix, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce; simmer for 1 hour more, adding water if chili gets too thick.
• Remove bay leaf from chili. Blend chili using an immersion blender until desired consistency is reached.

HEALTHY LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook until vegetables are just tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, oregano and cumin, then continue to cook until fragrant and brick-red in color, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, beans (and their liquid), lentils, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Bring to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover with a lid and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the chili has thickened slightly, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings as desired.

VEGAN LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the light-green scallion parts, both bell peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, ancho chile powder, cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens in color and the garlic is softened, about 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices, lentils, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the temperature and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Fold in the kidney beans, butternut squash and agave syrup and cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve the chili in bowls and garnish with the radish, jalapeno, avocado, pepitas and dark-green scallion parts as desired.

CARROT AND LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add lentils and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir in carrots, broth and seasonings. Cook, covered, on low 4-6 hours or until vegetables and lentils are tender. , Stir in crushed tomatoes; cook, covered, 30 minutes longer. Serve with avocados and, if desired, sour cream, red onion and additional paprika., Freeze Option: Freeze cooled chili in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth or water if necessary.

LENTIL AND MUSHROOM CHILLI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, then add spices (cumin, coriander and chilli) to the hot oil for a few seconds. Add onion, garlic, carrot and chilies and cook for a few minutes until onion softens. Add chopped mushrooms, and continue to cook for a few minutes until mushrooms soften. Add washed lentils and stir for a minute. Add stock, tomato and garlic puree, bay leaves, soy sauces and Worcestershire sauce.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer the lentils. Cook for an hour at low heat, stirring regularly, and adding boiling water when the contents start to stick to the pan. Towards the end, add tin of kidney beans. Can use the juice from the can in addition to the boiling water additions.
• Done when the lentils are soft.
• Options & serving suggestions: can add finely chopped celery, fresh chillies (according to taste), red wine to flavour. I prefer to eat with mashed potato, but of course would go with rice.
• Chilli powder varies in strength - I only used 1 tsp, but it is a very fiery batch!

DELICIOUS LENTIL CHILI

Steps:

• 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!