Vegetarian Red Lentil and Bean Chili

This red lentil two-bean chili is a protein packed, hearty, vegetarian chili recipe. It’s great for meal prep, easy to whip up on a week night, and tastes even better the next day!

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Does using lentils and two kinds of beans make this a three bean chili? I'm not 100% sure.

This recipe is written to use canned beans for convenience. You can soak and cook your own beans, if you’d prefer. Using canned beans allows this to be an easy weeknight recipe.

Why you'll love this lentil chili

• It cooks up in 40 minutes thanks to the canned beans and quick lentil cook time.

• Left overs taste great because the flavors will have had time to meld.

• It's a naturally gluten free main dish option.

Vegetarian Lentil Chili Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 14-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 c. low sodium vegetable broth or chicken stock, if not vegetarian
• ¾  cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, for serving
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Salt and pepper, to taste

I prefer to buy organic red lentils. In my experience, they are higher quality and cleaner than what I can get at the local grocery store.

We always use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It's super easy to make your own Greek yogurt with this recipe!

How to make vegetarian red lentil chili

Wash your lentils and sift through them for debris. Lentils are prone to having small rocks in the bag!

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and red pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Continue cooking until the spices become fragrant, approximately 1-2 minutes.

Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and red lentils. 

Increase the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil, then immediately reduce heat down to a simmer and cover with a lid. 

Cook until the red lentils are tender and cooked, approximately 15-18 minutes.

Once lentils are cooked, uncover and stir in the kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn. 

Continue cooking over medium heat until the chili thickens and beans are warmed through, approximately an additional 10-15 minutes. 

Stir in the fresh cilantro and taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. 

Serve the chili with a dollop of sour cream and some lime wedges. 

Enjoy!

Don't get tomatoes on your phone while you cook - print out this recipe using the recipe card below!

I hope you enjoy this quick and easy vegetarian recipe. Make sure to check out the posts below for more wholesome meals for your family: