This Easy Vegetarian Tempeh Chili is packed with plant-based protein, tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and cumin. Ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for meal prep, yummy on its own or loaded with your favorite toppings!
Tara’s Tips for Perfect + Easy Vegetarian Lentil Chili:
- Lentils: Use 2 cans or 3 cups cooked lentils. Any color will work. Brown, red, green, or a combination. If you start with dry beans, simply fill a pot with enough water to cover the lentils plus 2 inches. Boil the lentils for 15 minutes or until tender.
- No oil! Yep, you heard me correctly. You do not need any oil to sauté the onions or to make this chili yummy + awesome!
- Vegetarian Chili Toppings: Organic cheese and/or sour cream, vegan substitute if vegan, avocado, fire roasted corn, organic blue, yellow, or white corn tortilla chips. If you like it hot, increase the chili powder or add another diced jalapeno. I use 4 jalapenos in mine 🌶!
- Meal Prep Chili: Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers in single serving glass containers for lunch boxes or busy weeknights.
- Let’s talk kidney beans: You can use a can of kidney beans or cook your dry beans first. One can of beans = 1 1/2 cups cooked beans. Don’t love kidney beans? You can easily substitute black beans, cannellini beans, or navy beans.
Love Lentils? Me Too! Try My Other Lentil Recipes:
Easy Lentil Veggie Burger (Eggless!)
Love Chili? Me Too! Try One of My Other Amazing Chili Recipes:
Easy Vegetarian Lentil Chili
March 17, 2022
: 4 people
: Easy
Lentils, onions, tomatoes, spiced up with jalapenos and red chili pepper powder. Make ahead and freeze. Easy + healthy!
Ingredients
- 2 cans or 3 cups cooked lentils
- 1 diced onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped small (to taste)
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste + 1 cup water
- 1 can of kidney beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
- 1/4-1 tsp red chili pepper powder (to taste)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- When ready to eat, top with optional vegan or dairy shredded cheddar, sour cream, organic yellow, white or blue corn chips, avocado, fire roasted corn.
Directions
- Step 1 Heat diced onions in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle onions with 1 tsp salt to prevent burning, sauté for 5 minutes. Add water a tablespoon at a time if your onions stick to the skillet.
- Step 2 Add jalapeno peppers and garlic, reduce heat to medium, cook another 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Step 3 Add tomatoes, cover and cook 5 minutes. Frequently pressing the tomatoes down into the side of pan to smash them down, by doing this they will dissolve. Once they are smashed down, add tomato paste and water and stir until combined.
- Step 4 Add lentils and kidney beans, cook for 3 minutes.
- Step 5 Fold in all dry spices, adjust to your taste and spice level.
- Step 6 Add in kidney beans, cook an additional 10 minutes with the cover on.
- Step 7 Serve or eat with your choice of toppings! Store leftovers in glass, airtight container for up to 5 days or portion out in individual glass containers and freeze for lunchbox or busy night.
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