If someone were to ask me to name my favorite season, I would answer that without a doubt it is Autumn. Guess which season coincidentally begins today?
What is it about Autumn that I love so much?
Although we haven’t quite experienced it yet here in New England, the cold snap in the air is something I look forward to after the heat and humidity of summer. Also, the return to school accompanied by fresh notebooks and new pencils was something I really adored as a young person, and appreciated as a Mom to bring some structure back into our world. Autumn is also that unique time of year here in New England when you can still wear shorts but just need to swap out your tee shirt with a cozy sweater or fleece. That combination of warm on the top with bare legs is something I also love. These are just a few of the many reasons that I treasure the Fall.
And of course, Autumn allows us to reintroduce ourselves to our Dutch ovens and the soups or stews that keep us warm and nourished during cooler temperatures.
Today I am sharing a recipe I developed earlier in the year for a Lentil Chili that I think you will really enjoy. It’s super easy to prepare and you can make it both vegetarian and vegan if you swap out vegetable stock for the chicken broth called for in the recipe. I’ve made the Chili with both brown and green lentils, depending upon what I had in my pantry. Both work just fine.
Lentils are such a fabulous ingredient for Chili as they have great texture and flavor, while providing a good source of protein and fiber. If you are looking for a more traditional chili, then consider trying my Turkey and White Bean Chili.
My friend Betsy tested this recipe for me a couple of times over the course of last winter with great results. This week she shared a bowl with me at my home. I sent her home with most of the leftover chili as we are heading to Pennsylvania for Parent’s Weekend, another wonderful reason to love Autumn. As soon as I finish this post, I will be making a batch of Tailgate Brownies to bring to our daughter and her roommates.
How about you? Do you have a favorite season?
I hope you make a batch of Lentil Chili either for football watching, meatless Monday or just because you love a good chili! If you do, please let me know what you think in the comments.
See you next time…
One Year Ago: Parmesan & Poppy Biscuits
Two Years Ago: Tailgate Brownies
Three Years Ago: Salted Chocolate Caramel Brownies
This chili is as hearty as any meat based chili and has a lot of flavor from the lentils themselves and the spice blend. The step that asks you to puree 3 cups of the chili is intended to provide a natural thickener, but you can skip this step if you want to and the chili will be just as delicious. You may want to add a little chicken broth to leftover chili to loosen it up a bit when reheating. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1, 16 ounce bag brown or green lentils, rinsed well
- 2, 14.5 ounce cans no-salt diced tomatoes
- 2, 32 ounce cartons low-sodium chicken broth (8 cups)
- 2 Tablespoons medium chili powder (or the heat level you prefer)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon dry basil
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can “small” white beans (Goya), drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
- Accompaniments: Avocado, Shredded Cheese, Red Onion, Sour Cream
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Saute the vegetables until soft and the onions have started to brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cumin, mustard, basil, oregano and bay leaf. Stir mixture. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf. Transfer 3 cups of the cooked chili into a food processor and process until pureed. Add the pureed chili along with the beans back to the dutch oven and stir to combine. Bring back to a boil for just a minute.
- Add salt and pepper and correct seasoning. Serve with lots of chopped fresh cilantro.
