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Made with lentils, beans, and a richly spiced tomato sauce, this Lentil Chili is a one-pot recipe that comes together in just 30 minutes!
Looking for more recipes starring lentils? Try my recipes for Instant Pot Lentil Soup, Lentil Tacos, Lentil Sloppy Joes, and Lentil Meatballs.
Why You Will Love Lentil Chili
When it comes to chili recipes, I can't get enough. From a classic beef and bean crockpot chili to crockpot chicken chili to black bean sweet potato quinoa chili, I love them all!
But when I am looking for something lighter, yet hearty, this Lentil Chili is my go-to recipe for many reasons.
- Extremely affordable. Made with dried lentils and a few canned goods, this recipe costs pennies per serving.
- Ready in 30 minutes. Chili often takes hours to develop a rich flavor, but this Lentil Chili recipe is made in one pot in just under 30 minutes.
- Vegan-friendly, yet hearty! Even though this recipe is meatless, it packs in a ton of plant-based protein thanks to lentils and beans. It is also full of fiber, which keeps you feeling full for hours.
- Allergy-Friendly. Not only is this recipe for Lentil Chili vegan-friendly, but is also nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
- Crowd-pleaser. Even my picky kids and meat-loving husband enjoy this meatless lentil chili.
Notes on Ingredients
- Lentils: For Lentil Chili, it is crucial to use either dried green or brown lentils. Red and yellow lentils are much too soft to hold up in a chili recipe.
- Onions and Garlic: A tip for adding flavor to a quick-cooking chili is to start the recipe by sautéing onion and garlic. It takes a few minutes and really starts the recipe off with a lot of flavor.
- Red Wine: My secret to giving this chili a deep, rich flavor is to deglaze the pan with a dry red wine, like Merlot or Cabernet. If you don't care to cook with alcohol, replace the wine with additional vegetable broth.
- Vegetable Broth: Use your favorite low-sodium store-bought or homemade vegetable broth.
- Tomatoes: I use a mix of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes for variety. If your family prefers a smoother chili, replace the diced tomatoes with additional tomato sauce, or if you like a chunky chili, replace the tomato sauce with diced tomatoes.
- Spices: I use my homemade chili seasoning, a perfect combination of dried seasonings that adds incredible depth to the chili.
- Beans: I prefer kidney beans for this chili recipe, but you can use black, pinto, or red beans instead.
How to make Lentil Chili
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Lentil Chili comes together extremely quickly. Sauté the onions and garlic, deglaze with wine, and simmer until the lentils are tender. It's that easy to make an amazing, flavorful plant-based chili in under 30 minutes.
Slow Cooker Instructions
To make this Lentil Chili in the slow cooker, reduce the broth from 2 cups to 1 cup. Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, or until the lentils are tender.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Once the chili has cooled slightly, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: Once the lentil chili has cooled completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch of space for expansion. Freeze the chili for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Defrost the chili in the refrigerator overnight if needed. Transfer the chili to a small saucepan, adding a bit of water or stock to thin if necessary. Heat over medium-low heat until just warmed through. To make leftovers stretch a bit further, try serving the leftover lentil chili over Instant Pot Baked Potatoes or Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.
More Plant-Based Soup & Chili Recipes
- Instant Pot Lentil Chili
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
- Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Minestrone
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
If you tried this lentil chili recipe, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Lentil Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry red wine, optional
- 1 tablespoon chili seasoning
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes, blended
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes, not blended
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 2 cups beans, cooked or canned
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and spices. Saute until onion is softened.
- Deglaze pan with wine and allow to boil for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and broth (or water). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
- Add the lentils and beans and cook until lentils are tender--about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
- Lentil Chili can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- I blended one can of tomatoes to give the soup more liquid and for texture preference. You can skip this step and just use 2 cans of diced tomatoes, or you can blend all the tomatoes if your family is opposed to the texture of diced tomatoes.
- I recommend kidney beans and black beans for this Lentil Chili, but you can use red beans or pinto beans instead.
- Feel free to adjust the spices to accommodate your family's preferences.
- Green or brown lentils are best for this chili recipe. Red lentils will turn to mush, so are not recommended for this recipe.
- Dry red wine, like Merlot or Cabernet, is recommended for this Lentil Chili, but feel free to use additional vegetable stock in place of the wine.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Place all ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How long in the instant pot?
Hi Regina! I would cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Be sure to put layer the ingredients so that the tomatoes are on the top of the lentils and broth to prevent a burn notice.
This vegetarian lentil chili was delicious! It's a bonus that it's vegan-friendly and so hearty. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
This lentil chili was so flavorful, I cannot wait to make it again.
My husband absolutely loves soups like this, so I'm always on the hunt for a different version so I can keep things interesting. Haha! This one was a HIT! Thank you!
Mmmmm, I like this idea for lentils. I have too many bags of them in the pantry right now, just waiting to be put to good use. This looks delish, garnished with avocado and cilantro! What a fun idea!
This is the PERFECT recipe for all those lentils! Enjoy!