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Chili season is the best season and this one-pot red lentil chili is the best chili! Packed with protein from lentils and t.v.p, and great at making your entire house smell just like chili.
Chili is that one meal that says cold weather is really coming. If there's one thing I love more than the Autumn season, it's getting to have chili with a peanut butter sandwich.
There are real life arguments over chili having beans in it or not. If that bean is a lentil, I am all over it! Growing up, my mother would put those red kidney beans in the chili and I hated it. I would physically pick them all out before I could dig in and enjoy it. Seriously, I couldn't wait to be able to make my own dang chili the way I wanted it.
This lentil and TVP chili can also be made using my vegan ground sausage recipe!
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🥘Ingredients
You can use any lentils for this recipe. I happen to be using red.
TVP is optional. But I must tell you that it really 'beefs' this recipe up! Perfect if you love a really thick chili!
Feel free to use any veggie bouillon or similar seasoning powder.
Add some spice and throw some jalapenos or serrano peppers in. Optionally, a dash or two of cayenne would do just as fine.
Sugar is optional.
Please see recipe card for exact quantities.
🔪Instructions
Step One - Clean your lentils well, and dump them into the basin of the slowcooker.
Step Two - Add water.
Step Three - Add in everything else.
Step Four - Mix it all together and cook!
👩🏻🍳Cook's Top Tip
Do go overboard with your seasonings! Chili is meant to be super flavorful!
👪Serving Suggestions
- Pair with a peanut butter sandwich. Don't look at me like that, I'm from Ohio.
- Top with your favorite vegan cheese shreds.
- Top with avocado slices.
- Add sour cream and green onions.
- My delicious vegan bacon would be an amazing adddition.
- Mix in some crunchy oyster crackers.
- Top with or add in some pickled jalapenos.
📖Substitutions & Variations
Maybe you don't have everything I've used on hand or are curious of other ways?
These are some things you can change up:
- Use brown or green lentils -see here for instructions using stovetop-, you can also use canned lentils.
- Use other types of beans in place of lentils.
- Don't have TVP? Use mushrooms or other plant-based meaty crumbles. Store-bought is fine. You can also use soy curls or even try my vegan ground sausage.
How else can I serve this chili?
- Burritos - Remember chili cheese burritos from Taco Bell? I miss those.
- Serve over rice - Or beside it!
- Atop tator tots or french fries - (I am team tots, personally) just add vegan cheese!
- Nachos
- Plant-based hotdogs topped with some delicious chili? Yum!
- Chili mac and cheese!
- Ice crea... sorry I went to far...
All of the reasons you'll love this plant-based lentil chili:
- Vegan.
- Gluten free.
- Perfect on a Budget .
- Set it and forget it.
- Adaptable.
- Freezer friendly.
- Foolproof & easy for beginners.
⏲️Equipment
This recipe is written for cooking in a slowcooker, however it can be done in other ways such as
- Stove Top - Cook the lentils in water for 15 minutes before adding everything else and simmering until finished. Typically the water used to boil the lentils is nearly used up after the 15 minutes so there should be no need to drain or remove. You can make this recipe all in one-pot no matter the method.
- Instant Pot - Add everything to the pot, cover and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then release naturally until finished.
🍱Storage
Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
Freezer - In an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Reheat - Thaw naturally from freezer in the fridge, or in cold water (still covered), microwave for 1 minute intervals until desired temp, or dump into a soup pot and heat on the stove until warmed.
📃Frequently Asked Questions
Much like rice and other beans, lentils are harvested and put straight into bags. There is no processing involved, so you should always wash your lentils to remove any dirt or bugs that may have gotten a ride.
If you are using red lentils, you can add them raw into your chili. Brown and green lentils take a bit longer to cook and you would do best to pre-cook them for 15 minutes if doing stove-top. Crockpot cooking you can just throw them in.
Depending on what you add to it, it can be considered a healthy alternative to common meat-filled chilis. Lentils boast amazing protein content as well as high fiber and low fat.
*This article may contain affiliate links. please check out my policy!
Try out some of my other delicious soups!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- 1 crockpot medium to large size.
Ingredients
- 1 cup TVP
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 1 cube veggie bouillon
- 2 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon sugar - optional
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch - optional
- 1 teaspoon salt - to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Start by rinsing/cleaning your lentils.1 cup red lentils
- Add the lentils to the pot of a crock, along with everything else.1 cup TVP,2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes,3 cups water,1 cube veggie bouillon,2 Tablespoon cumin,1 Tablespoon chili powder,1 Tablespoon paprika,2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast,1 Tablespoon Garlic powder,1 Tablespoon sugar,1 teaspoon salt,¼ teaspoon pepper,1 cup red lentils
- Turn on the slowcooker for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
- Close to finishing, check in on the chili and decide if it needs thickening help with cornstarch slurry. If not, don't worry about it. If you feel it it is too thin, add it.1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Stove-Top
- Rinse and clean lentils and place them into a pot on the stove with water just over the top of the lentils (about 1 cup) and cook for 15 minutes on medium-high heat or until the water has evaporated, then proceed to add everything else and cook on simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Instant Pot
- Rinse and clean lentils, then add everything to the pot, high pressure for 10 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
Notes
- This Chili is/should be naturally gluten free. Just make sure the veggie bouillon is.
- Want Soy-Free? Use your favorite store-bought meatless crumbles, they are usually soy-free.
- Need more spice? No problem, just add cayenne pepper, jalapenos, or serrano peppers, or try adding a can of Rotel for some added heartiness.
- Storage - Can be placed in the refrigerator for up to 6 days or you can freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator from frozen and heat in a microwave at 1 minute intervals, or on the stove top in a pot as normal.
This recipe belongs to Planty Of Eats
Nutrition
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Asher
This one is going into the weekly because this was SO easy and SO cheap to make!
Cassius
That peanut butter sandwich went great with this!
Bree
Awesome! Thank you Cassius!
Colburn Clark
Excellent flavor!
I like food I can taste. This one is a keeper.
My store didn't have TVP.
I used Dark Red Kidney beans because they are one of my favorite beans and to spite you :p
Bree
Colburn Clark, Thank you so much!
Hahaha, I'll allow the beans =P.