Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1 cup onion, chopped (from 1 small-ish onion)
- 1 cup celery, chopped (from 2 stalks of celery)
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped (from 2 small carrots)
- 1 cup bell pepper, chopped (I used 1 small-ish red bell pepper)
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced or finely grated
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or use homemade)
- 1 28oz can whole tomatoes with their juices (about 3 cups of tomatoes)
- 1 19oz can low-sodium mix beans (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup dried red lentils
- Juice of half a lime
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or use a drizzle of honey, maple syrup or agave; optional but highly recommended)
- Avocado or guacamole, fresh herbs, lime juice, salsa and tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot heat oil over medium-high. Add the onions, celery, carrots and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are just translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue cooking for another minute.
- Add the spices to the pot (chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, nutmeg, red pepper flakes) stirring well to make sure all the veggies are coated. Cook for a minute or so more, until very fragrant.
- Add the stock to the pot, being sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Then add tomatoes and their juices being sure to gently break some of the whole tomatoes up into pieces with your spoon or spatula.
- Add the beans and lentils and stir until well incorporated.
- Add the juice of half a lime to the pot along with a bay leaf. Stir again.
- Bring the chili up to a boil (you can increase the heat a little bit to do this) and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the chili has thickened slightly.
- Stir in the sugar or drizzle of liquid sweetener and stir to combine.
- Serve immediately with sliced avocado or guacamole, fresh herbs or salsa on top or keep chili stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This chili freezes well too.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes