Vegetarian Lentil Chili

I remember when my mom would make lentils she would use bacon to flavor them because lentils can be a little bland if not seasoned well. Also bacon can be very expensive to solely use to flavor lentils especially when you have a big family.

Also I will admit it took me a while to learn how to cook lentils, this was before I had access to the internet and youtube. From what I knew lentils shouldn’t take a long time to cook because it’s a small bean, so I would just throw them in the pot of boiling water and wait. Yup, I waited and waited they still would not be done even with an hour or two of simmering. I also tried cooking them in the slow cooker thinking that would be easier but no they would still not be done. It didn’t occur to me that you would have to soak them because it’s such a small bean. So one day I gave soaking a shot, I soaked the lentils over night and cooked them the next day. I found my answer, lentils need to be soaked before cooking.

When it comes to deciding what to make for food for my family there are four things that I always have to consider…..

1. It is nutritious?
2. Stay in their comfort zone.
3. Branch out with 1 or 2 new ingredients.
4. Is it cost effective?

With one pound bag of lentils it will cost you about $1.50 that will make a big pot that could easily feed a family of 7. This recipe came to me when I was trying to figure out what to make the kids for dinner with considering all four requirements on my list. Then I thought “how about lentils”, I figured I just use some of my favorite spices which are garlic powder, salt, pepper, ground cumin (my favorite spice I use it in a lot of my cooking), chili powder, and paprika.

This recipe came out so good you will not miss the meat that typical chili is made with. Its also a great way to have your kids or any picky eaters to eat there beans with no compliants.

Lentil Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound bag of dry lentils (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium diced onion
• 3 garlic cloves diced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 5 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Soak lentils over night or at least 8 hours.
2. Saute diced onion and diced garlic cloves for about 2-4 mins or when they become translucent in a 4 or 5 quart pot.
3. Rinse soaked lentils then add them to the sauted onion and garlic.
4. Fill pot with water to where the lentils are fully submerged (about 2 to 3 quarts of water).
5. Add chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, ground cumin, and salt.
6. Bring to full boil then lower down to a simmer and let simmer for about an hour to an hour in a half.
7. The lentils are done once they become tender.
8. You can top it with some diced onion and cheese.
9. Serve with corn bread or corn chips