Vegan Chili | Loaded with Lentils & Beans

With the temps dipping into the 30s, it’s finally that time of year: chili time. Is there anything more satisfying than a nice warm bowl of vegan chili with a piece of cornbread? It’s a real stick-to-your-ribs kinda meal, one that warms you from the inside out. And I don’t know about you, but I always find myself disappointed when seeing chili recipes that call for a measly teaspoon or two of certain spices. Pshaw, I say! If you want a flavorful vegan chili that packs a punch, you’ve come to the right place.

Recipe here, and more information after the jump. I’ve been on the internet long enough to know that the most common gripe with food blogs is that the blogger rambles on for too long before sharing the recipe. But if you happen to enjoy rambles, there will be some below!

Vegan Chili

Loaded with hearty lentils and two kinds of beans, this chili tastes even better the next day!

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

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• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 7 cloves garlic minced
• 4 heaping tbsp mild chili powder
• 1 heaping tbsp dried oregano
• 1 heaping tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• Liberal dashes of fresh black pepper
• 8 oz good beer I used Sam Adams lager, but see note for advice on choosing a beer
• 4 cups water plus extra as needed
• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans rinsed and drained (15 oz can) *
• 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans rinsed and drained (15 oz can) *
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• The juice from 1 whole lime

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat, then sauté onion in olive oil with a big pinch of salt for 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.
• Then add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, followed by all of the spices (chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, cloves, pepper…pre-measure them all into a small bowl so you can dump them in all at once) and toast for about a minute.
• Add 8oz of beer and deglaze pan, then add 4 cups of water and lentils, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes, checking in on things and giving it an occasional stir.
• Add crushed tomatoes and beans, stir it all up, then cover the pot again and turn the burner down to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir it a few times until the lentils are nice and tender. During this 30 minutes, take note of how much liquid is cooking off — you may want to add up to 2 cups of water to thin the chili out to your desired consistency.
• Once finished, turn off the burner, add lime juice, maple syrup and taste for seasoning. Sometimes I’ll add a bit more salt or pepper, or any of the other spices you think it might need. I always find most chili recipes are far too mild for my liking so I use a heavy hand with spices so it’s extra hearty, warm, and satisfying. Nothing worse than bland chili, am I right?

Notes

*note on beans: you can also use black beans, white beans, chickpeas…really, whatever you have on hand. This is a great recipe to use up half-full bags of dried beans in the pantry, just make sure you soak and cook them before using them in here!

*re: beer. Here is a good piece on how to choose beer for chili.

*This chili tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze in smaller portions to thaw and enjoy later. You may need to add a bit of water when you reheat leftovers as the lentils and beans absorb liquid from the chili.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This recipe is adapted from Isa Chandra’s Meaty Beany Chili recipe from her cookbook, Isa Does It — one of the most tattered, torn, and food-stained cookbooks on my shelf. I first made it years ago but have since really amped up the number of spices called for, tweaked the beans, and added some beer for flavor. My favorite kind of recipes are ones that are easily adaptable based on what you have on hand, so some additions you can make with this recipe are:

• Add peppers and carrots to the onions when you sauté
• Add sliced jalapenos for an extra kick
• Add some cubed butternut squash or sweet potato when you add the lentils (you’ll need to add more water to thin the chili out)
• Toss in some quinoa or bulgar with the lentils
• Sauté some Impossible or Beyond ground beef with the onions, or add actual meat if that’s your style!

See? So customizable. I love serving this up with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese, fresh parsley, or a dollop of sour cream. And of course, who could forget cornbread?

I typically use dried beans in this recipe because they’re much cheaper to buy than canned beans, but I tend to have a few cans in the pantry as well for those days I forget to soak beans ahead of time. And if you’re like, “Wait, what kind of beans should I have on hand???” look no further than my post on how to stock your pantry. That way, you’ll be armed with all of the essential ingredient building blocks to assemble tasty meals from scratch whenever you want.

Happy cold-weather cooking, y’all! It’s the best time of the year in the kitchen.