Lentil Chili Recipe
A hearty lentil chili made with brown lentils, tomatoes, vegetables, warm spices, bacon or olive oil, lime juice, and a touch of semisweet chocolate.
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Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon diced, or 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 c onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/4 c tomato paste
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 28- oz can diced tomatoes in juice
- 3 c V-8 juice or tomato juice
- 3 c hot water
- 2 c brown lentils rinsed
- 1 tbsp chopped semisweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 lime juiced
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Garnish
- Sour cream
- Avocado sliced or diced
Instructions
Cook the bacon.
- In a Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. If using olive oil instead of bacon, heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven and proceed to the next step.
Cook the vegetables.
- Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, minced jalapeno, and minced garlic to the bacon drippings or heated olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften.
Add the tomato paste and spices.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and coriander. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture is fragrant and evenly combined.
Add the tomatoes, juice, water, and lentils.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, V-8 juice or tomato juice, hot water, and rinsed brown lentils. Stir well to combine.
Simmer the chili.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally during cooking.
Adjust the consistency if needed.
- If the chili becomes too thick before the lentils are tender, add a small amount of additional hot water, tomato juice, or broth and continue simmering.
Add the chocolate.
- Stir in the chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated.
Finish with lime and bacon.
- Stir in the fresh lime juice and reserved cooked bacon. If preparing the olive oil version, stir in only the lime juice.
Season the chili.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir well and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve.
- Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Garnish each serving with sour cream and avocado. Serve warm.
Notes
To make this Lentil Chili Recipe gluten free, confirm that the bacon, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, V-8 or tomato juice, and semisweet chocolate are certified gluten free or processed without gluten cross-contamination. Use gluten-free broth if replacing the hot water with broth. Serve with gluten-free toppings and avoid regular crackers, bread, or flour tortillas unless they are labeled gluten free.