Sunday, September 25, 2011

Vegetarian Lentil Chili ~ A Crock Pot Recipe

Since lentils are cheap and healthy, I've been looking for new ways to prepare them.  I've made lentil soup a few times and the recipe I use makes a lot.  Normally, that's not a problem.  Except in this case, Joe doesn't care for the lentil soup and that's a lot of soup for just me.  Even if I freeze it, it still seems to last forever. 

I was happy to find this recipe for Vegetarian Chili.  Since I'm always looking to try new chili recipes, this seemed to be right up my alley! 

I started off by following the recipe as written, substituting the liquid for organic tomato soup used in the original recipe.  After letting it cook for a few hours, I adjusted the recipe slightly, to make it a better fit for our tastes. 




Vegetarian Lentil Chili

Ingredients: 
  • 16 oz. bag of lentils
  • 1 cup dry pinto beans, soaked overnight
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with mild chilis
  • 2 chipotle peppers in 2 tsp. adobo sauce
  • 32 oz. vegetable broth
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 can tomato paste
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup mild salsa
  • 2 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 Tbs. cumin
  • 2 Tbs. molasses
  • 2 Tbs. cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
Directions:
  • Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. 
  • Cook on high for one hour.
  • Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Notes: 
  • We both enjoyed the way this chili turned out.  Good thing, since it made A LOT! 
  • This took longer to cook than I anticipated.  Even with soaking the beans ahead of time, it took a while for them to start to soften up, then even longer to get them to the texture I desired.  Next time, I will let this cook over night as stated in the original recipe.  Or, I will cook my beans and lentils ahead of time, then combine in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
  • We've been trying to incorporate more meatless meals into our weekly menu plans.  Not only is it healthy, it also helps keep food costs down. 
  • Serving this over rice or a baked potato or even cornbread really stretches this pot of chili into several meals, depending on the size of your family. 
  • This recipe is a definite keeper.  I love that it's frugal and contains ingredients that I almost always have on hand.  It's also very filling and healthy. 




4 comments:

Amila said...

I feel tasting it...I am a spicy lover.Now cant wait until I try it....thanks for the recipe

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

Great looking meal! I love this kind of chili!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that looks really good. Thanks for posting.

Amber said...

I am going to have to try this. I have been on a lentil kick lately!
Thanks for sharing!

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