The crazy weather in the Northwest continues. A light jacket day one day with some great sunshine, then a double jacket, cap and umbrella day the other. The thunderstorms, the winds, the darn pollen and pressure changes, congested and inflamed Sinuses. Spring is here! Hubbs has been sneezing, I am congested, and Chewie has been coughing. 🙂
This bowl of chili helps take some of those sinus issues away. A whole lot of flavor and spice and warm comfort of the lentils and kidney beans. With corn, celery, tomatoes and my own taco spice blend. Make this bowl for sure. Kidney beans work their magic and the Lentils make it hearty and filling enough without being too bean heavy. You know what I mean 🙂
Most of my thick Indian Dahl stews (there are so many of them!) can be converted to chili bowls. Sprinkle some taco spice on any of them, and serve up with a dollop of vegan sour cream, pickled jalapenos, crackers and chips and the lot.
Other chili bowls on the blog or Stews that can be made Chili style
Black eyed Pea Pumpkin chard Chili
Kidney Bean Curry
Black Gram and Kidney Bean Soup – Dal makhani
Black eyed Pea Mung Bean Stew
Good Reads today.
Moby talks about Why he is vegan (27 years and counting) and so so awesome.
Could a test tube Liver mean the end of animal drug testing.
Top 50 Vegan diet Staples to help you get started on the transition.
Vegan Athlete: Mission Impossible? Of course not.
15 things surprisingly contain animal products.
Want fun Vegan Shoes, got some.
What’s wrong with Horse Racing.
Lentil Kidney Bean Chili
Allergen Information: free of Dairy, egg, soy, yeast, gluten, grain. can be made corn-free and nut-free
Served 2 to 4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry Lentils (brown lentils, I used Indian brown) or 1 cup cooked
2 tsp oil
1 green chili, chopped (Serrano or Bird’s eye or Jalapeno, to taste)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Pickled jalapeno, cilantro, lemon juice, sour cream/yogurt, guacamole, tortilla strips for garnish.
Method:
Soak the lentils in hot water for half an hour. Drain and keep ready.
In a large pan, add oil, and heat on medium. Add the onion and cook until translucent. 4 minutes.
Add in the green chili pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, taco spice and cook until tomatoes are saucy. 5 minutes.
Add the bell pepper, celery, mix and cook for a minute.
Add the drained lentils and kidney beans, salt and water and mix well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Stir, taste and adjust salt and spice, and water if needed. Reduce heat to low-medium and cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until the lentils and kidney beans are nicely tender. (If using cooked lentils, simmer for 5 minutes.)
Mix in the corn and 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Sprinkle a bit more taco spice blend if you like. I did.
Serve hot, topped with sour cream, cashew cream or yogurt, pickled jalapenos, a bunch of cilantro, non dairy cheddar, salsa, sliced avocado and anything and everything.
To make this Indian, add garam masala instead of taco spice.
- ½ cup dry Lentils (brown lentils) or 1 cup cooked
- 1 cup Kidney beans, cooked or canned
- 2 tsp oil
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 1 green chili, chopped (Serrano or Bird's eye or Jalapeno, to taste)
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- ½ tsp chipotle pepper powder
- 2 to 3 tsp taco spice blend (recipe below)
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 2 cups water (less or more to consistency preferred) , use 1.5 cups if using cooked lentils
- ¾ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn
- Pickled jalapeno, cilantro, lemon juice, sour cream/yogurt, guacamole, tortilla strips for garnish.
- Soak the lentils in hot water for half an hour. Drain and keep ready.
- In a large pan, add oil, and heat on medium. Add the onion and cook until translucent. 4 minutes.
- Add in the green chili pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, taco spice and cook until tomatoes are saucy. 5 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper, celery, mix and cook for a minute.
- Add the drained lentils and kidney beans, salt and water and mix well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir, taste and adjust salt and spice, and water if needed. Reduce heat to low-medium and cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until the lentils and kidney beans are very tender. (If using cooked lentils, simmer for 5 minutes.)
- Cook uncovered to thicken the chili or add water if too thick.
- Mix in the corn and ½ tsp lemon juice. Sprinkle a bit more taco spice blend if you like. I did.
- Serve hot, topped with some of vegan sour cream, cashew cream or yogurt, pickled jalapenos, chopped onion, a bunch of cilantro, non dairy cheddar, salsa, sliced avocado and anything and everything. To make this Indian, add garam masala instead of taco spice.
Mix 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic granules, ½ tsp onion powder, 2 tsp cumin powder, 1 to 2 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp black pepper. Mix and Store in an airtight container.
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker:
Wash the lentils, drain and set aside. no need to soak.
Follow steps 2 to 5 in Saute mode.
Add lentils, kidney beans, salt, corn and 1 cup water. Cook on Manual hi pressure for 7 to 9 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Taste and adjust.
Garnish and serve.
Same kinda climate is in London too, one day sun and next day heavy rains…
This is indeed comfort palate for me 🙂 Looks flavorsome 🙂
thanks Shweta
I love chili! But I’ve never made it with lentils! I definitely want to try adding lentils…love their texture and “meatiness”. Yum!
i love lentils in my chili. it makes it meatier for sure:)
this really does look perfect. i just want spring to get here. i’m tired of wearing my winter coat and being bundled up and having the forecasters talking about snow.
i am so tired of coats and hats. can we get some skin show please!:)
We are still in full blown winter in the Northeast! No sign of spring at all. Sigh. I love chili and your taco spice sounds perfect. I prefer to make my own over store bought any day! I love your owl bowl, too cute.
Annie sent me that bowl in last years vegan gift swap. 🙂 it is super cute!
it is cold here too. and will rain the next 4 days.. ugh
Looks absolutely fabulous and filling….and LOVE the jalapenos on top!
that bowl looks so cutee!! I am obsessed with owls and chili sounds great except that its starting get warm here in Dallas 🙂
This looks so hearty!
The weather in the northeast has been crazy too, needless to say everything is still frozen so we have been spared allergy suffering so far;)
Hey Richa, just wanted to let you know I entered this chili into the contest and won second place! Lots of people asked for the recipe, and I referred them to your website. Thanks for sharing this! As is true for all of your recipes, it was fantastic!
woah that is awesome!! thank you Mae, for entering it in the contest! <3 <3
Made this today–it was great!
I have just made this. As I was cooking the chili I was a bit skeptical. But of course I was wrong because it tasted delicious! Very spicy! I don’t know how I could doubt one of your recipes because until now there hasn’t been one recipe of yours that did not taste good. Everything is so flavorful!
Your vegan Gingerbread just came out of the oven. Often requested by my husband 🙂 🙂
yay! I love reading your comments Nina! so glad you liked the chili too! the spice must be the green chili. The heat levels are so variable with them. This week’s Serrano pepper batch that I picked up is 4 times spicy than what it usually is. I am being careful with it 🙂
Even if you don’t like something, it is totally fine, sometimes its just some vegetable or spice that can throw personal taste off. 🙂 I know I end up feeling like that with that with certain greens 🙂
yay for gingerbread too! xoxo <3
🙂 🙂 I’m glad! Some people find my enthusiasm exhausting hahah… It was definitely the chili. I always seem to think that I can tell how spicy this one chili is by the look of it, but that has not worked out yet. Silly me. You’re right, the heat levels are very variable!
I have learned in the past year of vegan cooking to read through the ingredients of a recipe and I know beforehand that I don’t like a certain ingredient and replace it with another. For me that is the case with certain greens too!
Best gingerbread you have made thus far (my husband said!) 🙂 xoxo
Hi! I just came across your website recently and decided to try this dish. Made it today and it’s absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try more. You are awesome!
Awesome!!
Where did you get that owl bowl??? I Ned like…. 40 of them in my life.
one of my friends sent it to me 🙂
Can I ask what type of lentils you used? I’m always curious because a lot of recipes don’t specify! Is it green lentils or split red (that’s currently what I have 😛 ) or another kind?
brown lentils. Green lentils will need similar amount of cooking time. maybe another 5 minutes. You an also use the split red. They will be cooked in 18 minutes. then simmer longer to preference.