Vegan chili

So, I know everyone has their own favorite chili recipe and there has always been a great debate about beans vs. no beans (all meat). Well, this is one of my versions of vegan chili, this version has loads of roasted green peppers and has a really fresh taste to it.

1 cup uncooked lentils

1 medium yellow onion, diced

8 cloves garlic, diced

3 carrots, chopped

2 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled

1 green bell pepper, roasted and peeled

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 15 oz. cans dark red kidney beans

2 15 oz. cans pinto beans

1 32 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can corn

2 Tbsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp. dried red chili

 

First thing is to cook the dry lentils in cold water, one cup dry lentils will yield about 2 cups cooked lentils. You can buy the canned variety too but it’s more cost effective to cook them yourself. Bring them to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, broil the poblano peppers and green bell pepper to roast. Turn about every 2-3 minutes until the skin bubbles and turns dark brown.

See how the skin has bubbled and darkened. Now they are time to peel.

Run them under cold water while peeling off the skin. It should peel away easily, and now you have naked peppers (ooh).

Now you want to cut them in half, discard the stems and the seeds.

Then coarsely chop the peppers.

While those peppers are roasting you can chop the onion, garlic, and carrots. Sauté in he olive oil for several minutes until opaque.

Add the canned beans, corn, tomatoes, spices, and finally the chopped peppers. Cook for about 1 hour.

Serve topped with some vegan rice cheese and tortilla chips if desired.