Turn chili season into a vegetarian feast with this easy lentil chili recipe. It’s full of flavor, fiber, and plant-based protein and keeps well in the fridge and freezer, making it a great meal prep idea.
I’m not sure about you, but I love chili. It’s easy to make, super versatile, and keeps well for months. While more traditional chili recipes contain meat, you can make a good vegetarian chili with the right combination of spices and pantry staples you likely already have on hand.
So, whether you’re prepping for game day or just looking for a heart-warming dinner idea, this hearty lentil chili recipe is a delicious and nutritious crowd-pleasing meal idea.
Why You’ll Love It
- Made in One Pot – This recipe keeps prep time and clean up to a minimum.
- High in Fiber – The combination of lentils and black beans ensures this lentil chili contains 15 grams of fiber per serving.
- Plant-Based – This vegetarian lentil chili contains over 18 grams of plant-based protein per serving.
- Keeps Well – It’s a great meal prep recipe as it keeps well in the fridge for days and the freezer for months.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Lentils – To add some protein. The recipe calls for green lentils or brown lentils, as I think they provide the best texture, but red lentils will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Beans – To add some more vegetarian protein and fiber. The recipe calls for canned beans, but you can use raw beans if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Tomatoes – To add some flavor and bulk to the chili. The recipe calls for a combination of diced and canned tomatoes, but you can use one or the other, or use plain tomato sauce instead. I used fire-roasted tomatoes to add some extra flavor, but you can use regular tomatoes if preferred.
- Broth – To cook the lentils and flavor the chili. The recipe calls for vegetable broth to ensure the recipe is vegan and vegetarian, but you can use chicken or beef broth if preferred.
- Onion and Garlic – To add a depth of flavor. The recipe calls for a whole onion and garlic cloves, but you can use onion powder or garlic powder if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Bell Pepper – To add some veggies and micronutrients. I used a red bell pepper, but any color will work.
- Spices – A combination of chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, and cocoa powder to flavor the chili. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper or ground chipotle peppers if you want a bit more heat.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
- Olive Oil – To add some healthy fats.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free broth or water instead.
To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
Lentils are a great alternative to ground beef in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Not only are they one of the best sources of plant-based protein, but they are also low in saturated fat and one of the highest fiber foods. In addition to chili, they work well in lentil tacos and lentil shepherd’s pie.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan lentil chili recipe is a balanced meal complete with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fats. That said, it can easily be adapted to suit your personal dietary needs. For example:
- To make it higher in protein, add a block of crumbled, extra-firm tofu along with the beans.
- To make it higher in fiber, add some frozen corn to the chili.
- To make it higher in fat, top the lentil chili with some shredded cheese, sliced avocado, or a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- To make it higher in carbohydrates, serve the chili with cooked rice or tortilla chips.
- To add more flavor, top the chili with fresh cilantro, hot sauce, and/or sliced jalapeño.
Can you make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, this vegetarian lentil chili can easily be made in a slow cooker. Simply add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Once cooked, allow the chili to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Once the lentil chili has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container, or containers if storing individual portions, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, the chili can be reheated in a pot on the stovetop on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
More Vegetarian Chili Recipes:
Print
Lentil Chili
This lentil chili is made in one pot and is packed full of plant-based protein and fiber. Serve it with diced avocado, shredded cheese, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro for a hearty vegetarian meal.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 50 minutes
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Total Time: 1 hour
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Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Category: Chili
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup uncooked lentils, green or brown
- 3 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can red kidney beans, strained and rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, strained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
- Add the red bell pepper, stir to combine with the onion mixture, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, cocoa powder, and salt, stir again to combine, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Add the dried lentils and stir to coat with the veggie and spice mixture. Then add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste, and stir until well combined.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, add the strained kidney beans and black beans and stir again until well incorporated, and cook for an additional 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are completely tender. Once cooked, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- The chili can be served immediately with toppings of your choice or cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Red Lentils: Use 1 cup of uncooked red lentils in step #3.
To Use Cooked Lentils: Swap the raw lentils for 2.5 cups of cooked lentils and omit the vegetable broth. Skip step #4 and add them in step #5 instead.
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder. Skip step #1 and add it in step #2.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 2 teaspoons of garlic powder and add it in step #2.
To Use Raw Beans: Swap the canned beans for 1 cup of raw beans. Add an additional 2 cups of vegetable broth and add them in step #3, and increase the cooking time to 40-45 minutes in step #4.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 338 calories
- Sugar: 10 grams
- Fat: 6 grams
- Carbohydrates: 57 grams
- Fiber: 15 grams
- Protein: 18 grams
Hey Red, do you think this could be made in a slow cooker too? Thanks!
I don’t see why not! Definitely worth trying. It might be a little liquidy, but you could always just boil it down a little if it is 🙂
Made this tonight. It’s so delicious! I didn’t have tomato paste so I used one can diced and one can stewed tomato’s with olive oil and basil. Sounded logical to me and it came out perfect!! Yum
Wonderful, Stacie! Thanks for sharing, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I just finished cooking this and it smelled sooo good that I tasted it while it was still a little too hot, but it was totally worth it! lol. YUM! I didn’t have any black beans on hand so I just doubled the kidney beans and it came out perfect. My boyfriend (who isn’t really a fan of beans) absolutely loves this veggie chili as well. Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipe!! Will definitely be making this again very soon. 🙂
Wonderful Lauren, thanks so much for sharing! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This is delicious! Just made a pot for the family!
Thank you, I’ll be making this again!
Fantastic! I’m so happy to hear it and thank you so much for sharing!
Wonderful, I’m so happy you like it! 🙂
Just made athis for dinner! DELICIOUS!!!
I’ll be making this again for sure!
Thank you!
Quick and easy, and so tasty, too! Thank you for this chili recipe. I can see it will become a staple recipe for the winter months.
So happy you liked it! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Definitely a keeper!
Happy to hear it!
I don’t have red kidney beans what can I substitute them with.
Additional black beans, navy beans, or white beans will work well!
The vegetarian lentil chile is simply delicious! It is easy to make, very nutricious and great as comfort food! I highly recommend it!
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Delicious! It did come out more like a soup than a thick chili, but it’s very flavorful. I’ll be making this again!
Happy you enjoyed it!
Looks like a great recipe and we are going to try the slow cooker version today. Here is the verbiage around the slow cooker version. “Can you make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, this vegetarian lentil chili can easily be made in a slow cooker. Simply add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook on high for 8-9 hours or low for 4-5 hours.”
I think the high and low heat cook times are flipped – High should be 4-5 hours and the low heat should be 8-9.
Thanks.
You are correct! Thank you so much for pointing that out, Ron.
I’ve fixed the error, so it should read correctly now. 🙂
This was excellent! I fed it to my husband without telling him it was meatless and he loved it as well. Perfect for meal prepping.
Love that, thanks for sharing!