Have you ever thought of putting lentils into chili before? For some reason, I never made the connection. Curry, yes. Fancy French soup? Of course. Lentils on the side with everything? Sure, no problem! Lentils in chili, though? My brain never considered the possibility. This winter I went a little soup crazy. It got to the point where I was making a pot of soup at least once a week, and often just a variation on the same curried butternut soup with red lentils. It was sort of an everything-orange-in-the-kitchen soup, and we really loved it. Except for that time I made it waaaaaaay too spicy and Kevin almost cried. That guy just can’t handle the heat (sorry Kevin!!).
Anyway, while making the same soup over and over I realized that Indian food and Mexican food are sort of like Tia & Tamara in Sister Sister: they weren’t raised by the same parents but ohmygod they’re pretty much the same person with a slightly different spice mix, and when you put them under one roof magical things happen. They each have their own special something, but deep down there totally twins. So, if you’re still with me here, red lentils were the beautiful result of this realization, and into chili they went. 
This chili has a lot of the usual suspects: onions, peppers, cumin, chili powder, beans, cilantro. It also has my favorite super special chili spice additions: cinnamon, cocoa powder, and sugar. Just a tiny pinch of each makes a huge difference in the flavor profile, and also lets you tell people there’s a secret ingredient involved (score!). There’s also an abundance of nutrient-rich superfood-status ingredients, too, which I guess could be yet another bonus to this chili. Secret ingredient chili? Uh, yes, I’ll take a bowl or five. 
In a shocking turn of events, I’m sharing a recipe for chili right after I shared my favorite cornbread recipe with you on Wednesday. I’m sure you didn’t see this coming; it’s not like I mentioned how great the cornbread was crumbled over a bowl of chili or anything.
Okay, let’s talk chili! This chili has red lentils, which are the softest, quickest cooking lentil. They are full of protein, fiber, potassium, and literally more nutrients than I can fit into a sentence. Their quick cooking time means this chili can be done in less than 30 minutes, making this the perfect busy weeknight meal. I also used kidney beans, which are known for their especially high levels of iron, vitamin B1, and cancer-fighting antioxidants. I’ve talked about beans before, but jeez, these little fiber nuggets really are amazing. The rich flavor profile of chili is built on sautéed onions and peppers, and everything is brightened up with a big handful of fresh cilantro at the end. 
If you’re looking for a new chili recipe, or just trying to figure out what to make for dinner this week, I think chili & cornbread could become your new BFF. Even people who claim they can’t cook (p.s. you can cook, promise!) can make this simple chili. It comes together in 1 pot, with minimal prep and pantry staples. You can jazz it up however you want, maybe with some avocado, Greek yogurt, plantain chips, and jalapeño slices on top? Heck, you could even add some grass-fed/organic ground meat of choice to please all the Velociraptors carnivores in your life, if that’s more your family’s style. Whatever you do, I hope you’ll give lentils a try in your next batch of chili! As always, leave me a comment below to let me know what you think, or tag me on Instagram with #bakedgreens so I can see all your adventures in lentil-land!
Red Lentil & Kidney Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno diced (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1-15 ounce can kidney beans drained slightly
- 1- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
- 1/2 cup dry red lentils
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- a pinch each of cinnamon cocoa powder, and coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. Heat a pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, pepper, and jalapeno and cook until slightly browned (about 5 minutes).
- 2. Add in all remaining ingredients except cilantro, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- 3. Turn off heat, stir in cilantro, and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with cornbread and toppings such as avocado, raw onions and jalapeno, plantain chips, shredded cheese, etc.
- 4. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a week.
FYI-It’s also safe to assume that leftovers are great stuffed into a roasted sweet potato for lunch the next day. Boring desk lunch, be gone!