Vegetarian Lentil Chili ~ A Crock Pot Recipe

Since lentils are cheap and healthy, I've been looking for new ways to prepare them.  I've made lentil soup a few times and the recipe I use makes a lot.  Normally, that's not a problem.  Except in this case, Joe doesn't care for the lentil soup and that's a lot of soup for just me.  Even if I freeze it, it still seems to last forever. 

I was happy to find this recipe for Vegetarian Chili.  Since I'm always looking to try new chili recipes, this seemed to be right up my alley! 

I started off by following the recipe as written, substituting the liquid for organic tomato soup used in the original recipe.  After letting it cook for a few hours, I adjusted the recipe slightly, to make it a better fit for our tastes. 

Vegetarian Lentil Chili

Ingredients: 

• 16 oz. bag of lentils
• 1 cup dry pinto beans, soaked overnight
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes with mild chilis
• 2 chipotle peppers in 2 tsp. adobo sauce
• 32 oz. vegetable broth
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup mild salsa
• 2 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 2 Tbs. molasses
• 2 Tbs. cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. 
• Cook on high for one hour.
• Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Notes: 

• We both enjoyed the way this chili turned out.  Good thing, since it made A LOT! 
• This took longer to cook than I anticipated.  Even with soaking the beans ahead of time, it took a while for them to start to soften up, then even longer to get them to the texture I desired.  Next time, I will let this cook over night as stated in the original recipe.  Or, I will cook my beans and lentils ahead of time, then combine in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
• We've been trying to incorporate more meatless meals into our weekly menu plans.  Not only is it healthy, it also helps keep food costs down. 
• Serving this over rice or a baked potato or even cornbread really stretches this pot of chili into several meals, depending on the size of your family. 
• This recipe is a definite keeper.  I love that it's frugal and contains ingredients that I almost always have on hand.  It's also very filling and healthy.