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Home » Vegetables » Vegetarian Chili (With Video)

Vegetarian Chili (With Video)

By Chula King · June 12, 2019 · Updated July 1, 2020 Leave a Comment

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This Vegetarian Chili is a healthy and immensely satisfying alternative to meat-based varieties.  Red lentils provide a protein and fiber rich chili that is thick and savory, and a snap to make. As an added bonus, it’s even better as leftovers and freezes beautifully.
This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

 

Ingredients:

I used the following ingredients for this amazing vegetarian chili: Olive oil, onion, red bell pepper, salt, pepper, jalapeño pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, red lentils, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, black beans and corn.
This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

Making the Vegetarian Chili:

First, I added the onions, diced red pepper, salt, and pepper. I sautéed them in a little bit of olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. This took 3 to 4 minutes.

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

Next, I added the chopped jalapeño pepper and minced garlic, and continued cooking over medium heat.

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

After about 30 seconds, the garlic was fragrant, so I added some of the chili powder, some of the cumin and all of the paprika.

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

Then, I stirred the mixture to combine everything, and added the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water.

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

Next, I brought the vegetarian chili to a boil over medium-high heat and added the red lentils that I had rinsed in cold water and drained. I stirred the mixture to ensure that everything was well combined.

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

At this point, I reduced the heat to medium-low, and gently simmered the mixture for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the lentils were mostly tender.  I added the drained and rinsed black beans and corn, along with the remainder of the chili powder and cumin.

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

I brought the vegetarian chili to a boil, reduced the heat to medium-low. Then, I covered the Dutch oven. Finally, I let the mixture simmer for another 20 minutes or so until the onions and peppers were tender. The Vegetarian Chili was full of flavor, filling and absolutely delicious. Yum!

This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

I first posted this amazing Vegetarian Chili on April 21, 2017, but decided to add a video and tinker a bit with the text. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. If you’d prefer a meat based chili, you should try my turkey chili. Yum!

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili is a healthy and immensely satisfying alternative to meat-based varieties. Red lentils provide a protein and fiber rich chili that is thick and savory, and a snap to make. As an added bonus, it’s even better as leftovers and freezes beautifully.    
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 351kcal
Author: Chula King

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 jalapeño pepper seeds discarded, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 Tablespoons chili powder, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons ground cumin, divided
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons tomato paste (See Tip 1)
  • 1 3/4 cup water (See Tip 2) plus more as needed
  • 3/4 cup dry red lentils rinsed in cold water and drained
  • 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15 ounce can of corn, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add jalapeño and garlic; stir to combine.
  • Add 2 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 Tablespoon ground cumin, paprika, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water; stir to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat.
  • Once boiling, add lentils and reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until lentils are mostly tender. If necessary, add more water if the mixture is looking too dry.
  • Add black beans, corn, remaining 1 Tablespoon chili powder and remaining 1 Tablespoon cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until onions and peppers are tender.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more chili powder or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, or a little brown sugar to balance the heat and draw out the other flavors. Serve as is, or garnished with shredded cheese, fresh jalapeño, sliced green onion, diced tomatoes, etc.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days and in the freezer up to 1 month. Yield: 6 servings. (See Tip 3)

Chula's Expert Tips

  1. Rather than tomato paste, you can use an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce.
  2. If using tomato sauce, reduce the water to 1 1/2 cups.
  3. This makes incredible leftovers. For an added variety use in a taco salad. Yum!

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 1183mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2540IU | Vitamin C: 62.4mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 7.3mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @pudgefactor or #pudgefactor.
This protein and fiber rich vegetarian chili is thick and savory, and a snap to make.

Filed Under: Cinco de Mayo, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian Dishes

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Welcome to Pudge Factor®!

I'm Chula King, the food blogger, award-winning photographer, and videographer behind Pudge Factor. Pudge Factor features amazing and well-tested recipes from my every day cooking. These recipes run the gamut from simple to sophisticated and everything in between. I not only present awesome recipes with tips and tricks that I've learned through the years, but also process photos from start to finish. For some of the recipes, I include videos detailing the actual making of the dish. Read More…

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