Vegetable Lentil Chili

A thick and hearty and vegetarian chili to power you through the colder months – and it’s only $1.50.

Who doesn’t love chili? No one, that’s who. I don’t even know why I asked.

Despite being the 14th recipe on my teeny tiny baby food blog, this is a recipe I’ve been developing for about six years, starting with a post on my very old tumblr for “Very Excellent Vegan (If You Want) Chili” from October 2014!

The chili recipe in this post is actually vegan, but because I included shredded cheese in the photos, I didn’t feel right using “vegan” in the name. Without the cheese, it’s vegan.

It all began with a vegan chili recipe I found on allrecipes in 2013 that seems to have been first published in 2006. Over the years, I’ve modified it over and over until my recipe has become fairly different from the original version:

• My recipe uses lentils now, not vegan “ground beef” (I’m more into whole foods now, plus it’s cheaper!)
• My recipe (for this post, anyway) yields 5 servings, not 8
• My recipe uses less canned tomatoes and their “juice,” so I include broth or water
• Although I personally like things spicy, my recipe uses far fewer hot spicy things (definitely not 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper like in the original, oh my Lord)
• I usually don’t add green chiles, corn, or bay leaves to my chili these days. Nothing wrong at all with these ingredients – I think I’ve just gotten lazy over the years. I also wanted this particular recipe to be relatively simple.

Overall, I use fewer ingredients than the original recipe – although I’ve added carrots, which are surprisingly good in chili. And since it all goes into one pot, it’s a very easy recipe with very normal ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

Note: Exact amounts are in the recipe at the end of this post.

I did not include the vegetable broth or water in this photo, but you will want to use it. In testing this specific recipe, I neglected to add this extra liquid the first time around and the chili was too dry. The liquid is also necessary to cook the lentils.

Using water in lieu of broth (as I did in the recipe for these photos) is fine, but if you prefer a bit of extra flavor, go with broth.

INSTRUCTIONS

Additional instructions are in the recipe at the end of this post.

You’ll want to rinse your lentils first. This doesn’t happen often, but I’ve occasionally found tiny rocks in my lentils while rinsing. You don’t need to fully dry them – just make sure that no rocks or dirt wind up in your meal because that’s gross!

I recommend chopping up all of the vegetables, onion, and garlic first. It makes things so much easier when cooking.

Sauté the onions, oregano, cumin, and salt. Then add the vegetables and garlic.

Add the tomatoes, beans, lentils, broth or water, and anything spicy. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until the lentils are soft, and you’re done.

Top with anything you’d like, although it does make a very nice-looking naked chili.

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

• I kept this chili thick on purpose, as I generally don’t love chili that’s too watery. If you prefer more of a soup-like chili, add another half to whole cup of broth or water.
• I prefer my lentils on the firmer side. No mushy lentils for me, thank you. With these standard brown lentils, 40 minutes does the trick. If you prefer a softer lentil, simmer for an additional 5 or 10 minutes. Everything else will be cooked by then.
• This recipe is not super spicy. It does call for chili garlic sauce (or, in its place, cayenne pepper), but not a lot. After tasting the bowl seen in this post (because, yes, I eat everything you see), I added some red pepper flakes to meet my desired level of spiciness. I know not everyone loves things spicy so I wanted to keep this recipe on the milder side. I figured you can always make food spicier, but once it’s too spicy… you’re out of luck. I swear I’m not boring, just cautious!

This chili could work as dinner, lunch, or even… breakfast? Why not? There are no rules!

COST BREAKDOWN

Vegetarian chili is great for many reasons – including the price. It’s super cheap, especially when you’re using whole foods like the ones in this recipe. (Any kind of real or fake meat will bring up the cost.)

Using 2 cups as our serving size, I’ve determined that this recipe cost $1.50 per serving.

As always, your cost will vary depending where you shop and what products you buy. I tend to purchase relatively inexpensive brands, and this recipe was no different. I stuck to Whole Foods’ 365 line (the cheapest products in their store), Goya lentils ($1.99 for a 16 oz. bag), and spices and vegetables from my local supermarket that has a line of inexpensive spices.

This recipe makes 5 servings of 2 cups each. Here is what I spent on the ingredients for the entire 10-cup recipe:

• lentils: $0.58
• diced tomatoes: $1.39
• black beans: $0.99
• kidney beans: $0.99
• bell peppers: $1.88
• carrots: $0.25
• celery: $0.32
• onion: $0.20
• garlic: $0.08
• olive oil: $0.11
• chili garlic sauce: $0.36
• oregano: $0.22
• cumin: $0.10
• salt: $0.01
• black pepper: $0.01

Total cost: $7.49

Per 2-cup serving: $1.50

I tend to buy smaller bottles of spices that aren’t too expensive, but I bet you could find even cheaper spices if you buy the big containers. If you cook a lot, it might be worth it.

If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Stay warm this winter!