Lentil Chili With Chunky Vegetables

"------This chili is vibrant with brightness of the chunky vegetables and the salsa combined with the expected richness of chili powder and cumin. Go hotter or milder if you like by substituting mild or hot Salsa for medium. I recommend cornbread and a salad to complete the meal. If you aren't feeding a crowd it should be easy to divide — or freeze the extra. People who prefer to avoid red meat can successfully substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.------ Note -- I originaly changed the title to "Chili-Spiced Lentil Soup with Chunky Vegetable" to reflect its entry into the Soup category of RSC#9. However, that's a very clunky and awkward name so I simplified it once it got back into my hands. :D"
 
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photo by justcallmetoni photo by justcallmetoni
photo by justcallmetoni
Ready In:
1hr 15mins
Ingredients:
17
Serves:
18-20
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet on medium-high. Brown the ground beef and onions. Drain excess grease.
  • Mix beef, lentils, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, salsa, cumin, chili powder, salt, beef stock, and the reserved tomato juice in a large stockpot.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Add diced celery. Cook 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally or until lentils and vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended. The chili should be thick but if it becomes too thick add additional beef stock OR tomato juice to achieve the desired consistency.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings for desired level of heat. Different brands of chili powder vary in both heat and richness so adjustment is almost always necessary.
  • Serve topped with shredded cheese. Garnish with sour cream and green chilis if desired. Pass the hot sauce at the table.
  • Note:I prefer Franks for flavor without excessive fire. Others prefered Tropical Pepper Co.'s Scotch Bonnet sauce for excessive fire.

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Reviews

  1. Great recipe. Thank you!
     
  2. We enjoyed this very much! There are only three of us and since I didn't want lots of leftovers, I halved the recipe. I also used two cans of canned lentils instead of dry. The flavors are wonderful and it was even better the next day. A nice hearty meal. Thanks for posting this. Made for Zaar Chef Alphabet Soup.
     
  3. This is a great chili. I used more garlic, half the salt and ground turkey. I really like the use of lentils in it - it's a nice and different change.
     
  4. yummy! I made this tonight for dinner and really enjoyed it. The only changes I made to it was that I didn't have ground meat so I cut up some beef into ~1/2 inch cubes and used that instead. I also used chicken broth rather than beef. I added an extra carrot, an extra stalk of celery, a couple extra garlic cloves, and three or four times as much chili pepper. I plan to make this again. Thank you! *Update* I tried just throwing everything except the last five ingredients into a slow cooker on low for about 8hrs. and it came out great that way too!
     
  5. Yummy! We used green salsa. A good Valentine's Day dinner :)
     
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