This is an easy and delicious recipe for Vegetarian Chili. This vegan chili is a hearty meatless chili made with lentils. This chili is high in protein, fiber and taste!
Once the outside temperature begins to drop, I begin to crave warm and hearty chili recipes.
This Lentil Vegetarian Chili recipe may be a bit different than your traditional beef and bean chili, but even my mid-western, meat loving husband enjoys this Vegan Chili.
Vegetarian Chili
This Vegetarian Chili is hearty, filling, easy to make, inexpensive, and bottom line: IT IS GOOD!!!
The base for this Vegan Chili is lentils.
Beans and lentils are simmered in a thick and richly flavored tomato sauce. It is a thick chili that sticks to your ribs and fills you up–all while being meatless and low in fat and calories.
How to make Vegetarian Chili
- Saute onions, garlic and spices.
- Deglaze pan with wine for a rich depth to chili.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
- Serve Lentil Chili:
- With diced avocado, sour cream, cheese, corn chips, chopped cilantro, diced onion
- Over cornbread, noodles, or rice
- Topped on baked potato or sweet potato
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
- To make this as Crock-Pot Lentil Chili, place all ingredients into your slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
What are lentils?
They are a high protein part (called a pulse) of a plant that has been dried.
Lentil Benefits:
- Extremely high in fiber and protein
- Vegetarian
- Great substitute for meat
- Extremely inexpensive
- High in iron and Vitamin B
- Quick cooking
A Few Notes on Vegan Lentil Chili:
- This Vegan Chili is great plain, but if you are not vegan, Lentil Chili is great served with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, maybe some cheese, even scooped up with chips.The red wine is optional in this Gluten-Free Chili, but it adds a rich depth of flavor. If you omit, replace vegetable stock.
- Any variety of lentils work in Lentil Chili.
- Any beans–pinto beans, red beans, black beans, all work in this Vegan Chili.
- I blended one can of tomatoes to give the soup more liquid and for texture preference. This step is not necessary. Or you can blend both cans of tomatoes.
- I like my chili stick to the spoon thick, feel free to thin out with more broth–just be sure to adjust seasonings.
- Sneak in some veggies by adding 1-2 cups of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) to this vegetarian chili.
More Chili Recipes
- Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot 4 Bean Chili from Vegetarian Mama
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Chili
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine optional
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes blended
- 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes not blended
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup yellow lentils or any variety you prefer
- 2 cups beans canned or dried and cooked
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.
- At this point you can allow the broth to simmer for 1 hour to intensify in flavor, or you can add the lentils and beans and cook until lentils are tender--about 15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Alternatively--you can place all ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
Hearty, warming, and healthy, this chili looks like the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day!
Thanks Faith! I agree!
I love chili, and vegetarian chilis are some of my favorites! This recipe looks delicious – so hearty and comforting!
Thanks Cate. It is so easy and very comforting indeed!
I can’t wait to make this, its freezing in Atlanta today!! I love healthy comfort food!
I am here in Atlanta too!! This week looks horrible! I want spring!
Your chili sounds delicious! I love using lentils in vegetable soups, I love how “meaty” and hearty they make everything. What a great idea to use them in chili… why did I never think of that! Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
You bet Maria!
I love lentils, but never put them in a chilli before – gonna have to try this one!
Michelle–they work beautifully in chili. You must try it!
We love lentils, but I have never made chili with it! Definitely going to try it now though!
Hope you enjoy this version of Chili!
I used to live in GA and I miss those unexpected snow days. Here in MD we have what seems like a ton of snow. Chili is always on the menu up here.
The unexpected snow is so much better than the continuous pummel of snow up North. I am originally from Ohio where Adult snow days NEVER happened. You just dealt with it!
Yum! I love all kinds of chili too, pinning to try!
Thanks Joy! Hope you enjoy!
This sounds and looks delicious – pinning and making for sure!
Thanks Marie, I hope you enjoy it!
I enjoy lentils but haven’t tried them in chili. Sounds like a great idea!
If you love lentils, you will truly love thu s chili.
This looks delicious! I never thought to add lentils to chili, what a great idea, I just love lentils! Thank you for posting.
I stopped by from Mix it up Mondays.
Thanks Jessy! If you love lentils, you will LOVE them in chilis!
It is damp and raining here and nothing sounds as good as a bowl of this chili right now. I love lentils…perfect. xo, Catherine
Yes, this dish is PERFECT for nasty cold days!
Sounds like the perfect dinner for tonight.
Thanks Christie.
I’ve been dancing around tanking the plunge with lentils for a while now, but I’m staring to wonder what the hold up is. This chili looks delicious!
Chrisy, this is one easy and delcious way to experiment with lentils.
I love me some chili and what a great way to spice it up with some different ingredients!
Thanks Jennifer. I love chili of all kinds myself and this one ranks up there for me as one of my favs.
I love lentils but would have never thought to include them in chili, sounds awesome!!
Anna, lentils in Chili are great. They really add texture and heartiness. I hope you give it a try.
That sounds so good! I am a huge fan of lentils! Thanks for the shoutout for my Vegan Picadillo Lentil Stew!
Thank you Kalyn! I am so excited to make your stew as well 🙂
So delicious and perfect for fall!
Thank you Nellie!
So simple and easy – we love to have chili around in the fall and winter – sometimes we put it over rice or I make cornbread and I love all the toppings!
I love to serve my chili over cornbread and rice too! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe Beth .
Excited about soup weather. Thank you for this new yummy soup recipe.
This is the perfect meatless soup to warm up with.
This was so delicious yet easy! Thanks for saving me when I needed a quick dinner my family would love!
YAY! So glad your family enjoyed this Julie! It is so easy and on the table fast!
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!