Lentil Chili
"This is a lower fat alternative to chili. It is nicely seasoned, tastes great on a cold winter day and freezes well. This makes a delicious meal served with cornbread or crusty rolls. As this makes quite a bit, I usually put it into 2-quart containers, cool and freeze. The night before I am going to serve it, I put it in the refrigerator and allow it to defrost. Then heat and enjoy!"
photo by FLKeysJen
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
8-10
ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 -6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups lentils, rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can dice cut canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 -3 teaspoons epazote
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- green onion, sliced
- cheddar cheese, grated
directions
- In a heavy stock pot, saute the onion and garlic until onion is transparent.
- Crumble in the ground turkey and cook until turkey is cooked through, stirring frequently.
- Add from broth through epazote, stir to blend, bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and cook on medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
- At end of the cooking time, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and grated cheddar cheese.
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Reviews
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Will definitely be in my "Best of 2011" Cookbook! Easy to make and lots of bold flavor. The only change I made was to add in some red wine :-) The leftovers are just as good or better. I buy epazote at Penzey's and thought 2 tsp. was plenty. -
This was so good! They ment it when Paula said it makes quite a bit. I used an entire bag of lentils because I was lacking self control, and it turned out amazing! I froze half and were eating the other half for lunches and dinner.<br/><br/>My only complaint on this recipe is the directions. Was I supposed to be sauteing the spices that weren't listed in the directions with the onions and garlic? Because of this I "free form jazzed" quite a bit of this recipe but it still turned out divine! Will not be making any other chili!
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This is a pretty good recipe. By the looks of the spices involved, I knew I would have to add/improvise, but thats OK, everybody's taste is different. For the chili powder, I used part regular, part chipotle powder, and an extra tsp of cayenne. I also added oregano and coriander. In addition to the can of diced tomatoes, I added a can of hot jabanero rotel, some chopped mushrooms, 2 chopped jalapenos and chopped green pepper. I skipped the epazote as I don't have any. I will look into it however, next time I go to the health food store. I used a whole bag of lentils, plus added a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans. I topped it with mexi-blend cheese, lt. sr. cream, chopped green onions and cilantro. VERY YUMMY! All this barely fit in my pot - it made a ton. Plenty left over to freeze. I'll definately make this again!
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This was very good. I wanted to make Chili and I was out of Chili beans and Kidney beans and didn't want to run to the store because it's freezing rain out and the roads are icy. Anyway, this saved the day! I just loved the flavor and consistency. I did not have any epazote (not even sure what that is) so I didn't add that. Even so, the chili turned out very good. Thanks, PaulaG, for the great healthy recipe! -
OH -- this was GOOD. I have not had much experience with lentils, and thought we could be having a LARGE pot of turkey soup! Looked again after the lid had been on about 15 minutes, and saw the CHANGE in consistency ! Not having "epazote", but had store managers scratching their heads -- I used a few tsp. of Penzey's oregano. I had some of PaulaG's green chile powder,and added only a tad of salt and pepper to the bowl, topped with grated cheddar. DH and I had 2 bowls each -- lots left for another meal. Had cornbread to round out. Thanks for a scrumptious new chili recipe, Paula. The DDs will be making this soon !
see 9 more reviews
Tweaks
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I used ground venison instead of turkey. Also, I had no epazote, I just used more red pepper and chili powder. Garnished with a bit of cheddar and green onions. This was good initially - after an overnight stay in the refrigerator, it was truly great! This is so healthy, and so much better tasting than the traditional kidney bean based chilis. Thank you! -
Thank you so much! I had never in my life made chili and I have to tell you that this was by far the best chili I have had in a LONG time! My husband and I loved it. It was a great way to use up all those lentils I had in the pantry. Instead of the canned tomatoes I used a fresh tomato and instead of the tomato sauce I used a Hispanic spicy tomato sauce called El Pato, which gave it an extra kick. We enjoyed this dish so much Im sending the recipe to my mother, sister and mother-in-law. Thanks again!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
PaulaG
Hixson, Tennessee
I came to this site in March of 2004. It was then called Recipezaar. This site was the first on-line site that I ever joined. I first popped in 2003 while searching for a Peach Cobbler Recipe. In March of 2004, DH was having shoulder surgery and I was looking for a Split Pea Soup. Once again I found myself on Zaar as it came to be called.
Over the years I hung out and learned from some of the best home cooks in the country, I posted over 700 recipes on the site, reviewed over 3500 recipes and posted over 3000 food photos. Over the next 10 years the site made many changes and in 2010 it was sold to to Food Network and became Food.com.
Until last year we played games, talked and shared with one another. As a result of the community and the relationships I built I got to meet some wonderful people from all over the country. I also have a great number of friends that I have never meet face to face. Some of us still hang out at various places across the net.
Zaar was more than a cooking community. It was an internet community of friendship. Life is an adventure ever changing.
