Gluten Free
Lentil and Bean Chili
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
50 minutes
Yield
6 -8
🌶️ Master the ultimate vegan chili with this protein-packed recipe featuring three types of beans and hearty lentils. Ready in under an hour and perfect for meal prep!
You know your girl is all about making plant-based cooking accessible, delicious, and fun – and this lentil and bean chili does exactly that! Ever crave a hearty, protein-packed meal that’s both budget-friendly and incredibly satisfying? This vegan chili combines three different beans and Bob’s Red Mill lentils to create a rich, flavorful dish that will have everyone asking for seconds. With simple ingredients and bold flavors, it’s the perfect example of how easy eating plant-based can be. Plus, it’s totally meal-prep and freezer-friendly because I’m all about making healthy eating fit into your busy life!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Bean and Lentil Chili
- Quick: There is only 15 minutes of prep time for this recipe; the rest is just cooking it up and letting all the flavors marinate together. Perfect for those busy weeknight dinners.
- Healthy & Filling: The health benefits of the beans combined with the lentils not only make this vegan chili healthy but also very filling. One bowl will keep you satisfied for hours.
- Comforting: Is there anything better than a big bowl of steaming hot chili? I think not! The combination of spices and hearty ingredients creates the ultimate comfort food.
- Versatile: The best part about chili is it’s pretty hard to screw up. Experiment with the beans you have on hand for different textures and deliciousness. It’s a forgiving recipe that always turns out great.
🍲 Ingredients
Beans – For this Lentil and Bean Chili recipe, I used three different kinds of beans for varying textures and flavors. They’re packed with protein and high in amino acids and folate, which can help with weakness, fatigue, heart palpitations, loss of appetite, and irritability. Each type brings its own unique nutritional profile and texture to the dish.
Lentils – Bob’s Red Mill sells both green and red lentils, and you can use either in this recipe. Lentils are loaded with nutrients and health benefits like protein, fiber, iron, zinc, and the list goes on. They create the perfect hearty texture while boosting the protein content significantly.
👩🍳 How to Make Bean and Lentil Chili
- Into a large pot, sauté the onion on medium heat for around 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in your finely chopped pepper and sauté for another 5 minutes or until soft.
- Now add your seasoning, jalapeno pepper, spices and garlic. Cook for another minute and give it all a good stir.
- Next add the canned tomatoes (with juice), vegetable stock and tomato paste. You want to stir this till well combined then increase your heat to high.
- Lastly, add your beans and lentils and reduce heat to medium. Cook till thickened for another 30-40 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
- Garnish with cilantro and green onion.
- Enjoy hot! Tip: if you have some vegan meltable cheese on hand, then this is where you spice things up!
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Dried beans contain nearly double the folate than canned beans. Soak them overnight for the best results and the most nutrients.
- Double the batch and freeze half of it for easy, healthy meals. This chili actually tastes better the next day!
- Top with meltable cheese, green onions, tortilla chips, or sour cream. The toppings make it extra special.
- Let the chili simmer on low heat for deeper flavor development. The longer it cooks, the better it gets.
🗒 Substitutions
Make this vegan chili recipe your own with these substitutions:
- Beans: Any type of bean works well in this recipe, so use what you have on hand. You can use kidney beans or mix in chickpeas for a different texture. Black beans add creaminess, while pinto beans provide a buttery finish.
- Lentils: Bob’s Red Mill has an assortment of lentil options, and all of them will work well in this recipe. While green lentils are ideal for their firm texture, brown lentils work perfectly as a substitute. Red lentils will not hold their round shape once cooked but will create a thicker, creamier consistency.
- Non-Vegan Options: Regular stock can replace vegetable broth, and ground meat can be added as an addition for a higher-protein version. Traditional dairy toppings like cheese and sour cream work well if you’re not following a vegan diet.
🗒 Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze. To freeze, put it into a tightly sealed container once completely cooled, and when you’re ready to reheat, thaw it out and warm it up in a pot.
🤔 Common Questions
Green lentils retain their shape better than red, making them perfect for chili texture. Red lentils break down more, creating a thicker, creamier base. Both work great – choose based on your preferred consistency. Here is a great guide on types of lentils.
Absolutely! Each bean brings unique benefits: black beans for higher iron, kidney beans for higher protein, and pinto beans for higher fiber. Mix and match (or use them all!) based on what’s in your pantry or your nutritional goals.
Let it simmer longer uncovered; use more lentils, or add a tablespoon of tomato paste.
Try avocado, vegan sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions, crushed tortilla chips, vegan cheese, or a squeeze of lime. For non-vegan options, regular cheese and sour cream work great.
Lentil and Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sweet white onion finely chopped
- 1 cup red pepper finely chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno seeded, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp. oregano dried
- 1 tbsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- dash of cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 3 cups canned roma tomatoes unsalted
- 2 cups vegetable stock – unsalted
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 398 mL can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 398 mL can of romano beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 398mL can black bean, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked green lentils I used Bob’s Red Mill
- Garnish with: Cilantro chopped Green onion
Instructions
- Into a large pot, sauté the onion on medium heat for around 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in your finely chopped pepper and sauté for another 5 minutes or until soft.
- Now add your seasoning, jalapeno pepper, spices and garlic. Cook for another minute and give it all a good stir.
- Next add the canned tomatoes (with juice), vegetable stock and tomato paste. You want to stir this till well combined then increase your heat to high.
- Lastly, add your beans and lentils and reduce heat to medium. Cook till thickened for another 30-40 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
- Garnish with cilantro and green onion.
- Enjoy hot! Tip: if you have some vegan meltable cheese on hand, then this is where you spice things up!
Delicious and so easy to make. We did back out of putting two tablespoons of chilli and the jalapeños in though because I wanted my children to eat it and it was still hot and just right for us 🙂
Thank you so much my friend!!
Made it my crock pot, so good !!!!
YES!! Love that you loved it!
Not only is this easy to make but it’s delicious!!!
Thank you so much for love, Basia!
hello, when are the lentils added to the recipe? The instructions do not mention the lentils.
Hello, so sorry we, must have missed that. Add them with the rest of the beans xxx
There are no black beans in this recipe – but the photos show black beans?
Hello Hannah, that is very strange. It is showing up on my computer here. Either way, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference! Hope you’re having a great day x