Easy Lentil Chili

Submitted by Jenny Sanders

"Great chili. Any leftovers can be reheated. Add just a little water if chili's too thick. Note: This is a recipe I adopted in the Great 'Zaar Adopta-thon; I have made some minor adjustments to it. Be careful with the crushed red pepper flakes; they vary in heat and some can be quite hot. You may wish to add less to start with, and adjust it later. "

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 25mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 14 Cups

ingredients

• 4 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
• water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 -6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 can 28 ounces diced tomato
• 1⁄4 cup tomato paste

directions

1. Combine lentils and 7 cups of water in a Dutch oven.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Peel and chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic, and put it in a small bowl with all the spices.
4. 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.
5. Stir in 2 cups of water with the onions. Add the onion mixture to the lentils.
6. Partially cover and cook for 45 minutes more, stirring every 10 minutes until thick.
7. Add the vinegar and sprinkle with a little chopped cilantro if desired.

Reviews

[cjr721]

Easy to make. All I did was when getting the onions and spices ready, I added the tomatoes and tomatoe paste. It made so much I was able to freeze some.

 

[PSU_Lioness]

For being a lentil dish, this was pretty good. I would have given it 5 starts, but there is no mention of when to add the tomatoes and tomato paste. I wound up stirring both in before I partially covered and simmered the chili for 45 minutes. I'm not a huge fan of lentils, but this was pretty good. I added green peppers since I needed to get rid of them, but stuck with the rest of the recipe, and the spice amount was pretty spot on. Thank you for posting! I'm going to save this in case I am ever given lentils again.

 

[BrotherAdso]

Very nice chili recipe! I have seen few chilis that call for thyme, so this was an interesting experience. The only change I made was adding some corn kernels I needed to get rid of, but corn is a standard addition to chilis. The only suggestion I'd have is cranking up the heat by doing the initial sautee with a couple fresh jalapenos as well as the spice mixture.

 

[Akikobay]

We very much liked this chili and it's great that the recipe makes so much. I have a large dutch oven and it was brimming with this wonderful stuff. I've made this twice and the first time we made it I thought it was lovely. It was a touch spicy for the kids, however, so the second time I made just a few adjustments. I sauteed the onion and garlic then added the lentils and water to cook, and I also cut down on the crushed red pepper a touch. It worked out great in both cases. Thanks Jenny, for posting this recipe!

 

[CharissaEve Boyd]

We were looking for an easy chili recipe to make on a family camping trip, one with quick cooking beans, and this one worked perfectly. We ate it on tortilla chips and rice, and covered it wish salad, cheese, and raw veggies. It turned out to be an excellent ingredient in our taco salads.