This delicious lentil chilli con carne is made with red lentils, red peppers, kidney beans and tomatoes, flavoured with a spicy mix of chilli, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, cumin and a small square of dark chocolate. Serve this simple lentil chilli on a bed of white rice with sprinkle of lightly chopped coriander
Chilli
Rice
This recipe is the perfect veggie or vegan lentil chilli con carne recipe and a great alternative to the traditional meaty chilli . Vegetarian chilli can have a variety of ingredients, those with vegetables only, those containing lentils and those containing meat substitutes such as Quorn or tofu. Our full-flavoured dish has a lentil base. and is cooked with onions, garlic, tomato, kidney beans and chilli, the dish is spiced with chilli flakes, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and oregano. This dish is ideal on a cold winters night or when you need a veggie comfort food hit
All the ingredients are readily available at the supermarket
Dried Red lentils - these lentils are easy to cook and don't require pre-cooking so are the only lentils for this recipe
Red kidney beans - Use tinned beans as these are easy to use and are the perfect extra protein hit
Bell pepper - I prefer a red pepper for this recipe, but in theory you can use any bell pepper
Dried spices - this dish has a mixture of spices,
You can also add some smoked paprika if you like the taste and it will add another dimension
Fresh Spices - fresh chillies give the perfect hot it use red or green chillies I personally prefer red for this recipe.
Dried Herbs - oregano is the herb for this dish
Fresh Coriander / Cilantro - adds a lovely fresh taste to the dish
Dark chocolate - Add just a square it has to be dark chocolate as it will add an extra dimension
Onions and Garlic - white onions and fresh garlic give a grate savoury base to the dish you can use pre prepared garlic if you want but I prefer fresh
Chopped Tomatoes - tinned and puree to give a strong tomato base to the dish, you can use fresh diced tomatoes if you want
Vegetable stock - This recipe will need a fair amount of liquid in order to reconstitute the lentils
This mouth-watering recipe is the perfect quick cook meal for those cold nights in Autumn, Winter or Spring. It is easy to make so ideal for a midweek meal, make double and freeze the extra for a quick dinner on a busy night.
Yes, this lentil chilli is ideal for freezing, pop it in a freezer-proof container, allow it to cool and then freeze, it will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, defrost and then reheat till piping hot.
This dish is ideal for adults and children so makes the perfect
family meal, it is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans alike. It is also
healthy as it is low in fat and high in vegetable proteins. It is incredibly
cheap to cook so if you are on a low-budget health kick this dish is perfect.
If you have leftovers then why not try one of these recipes,
We serve this dish with rice and a sprinkle of coriander, but it would be just as delicious with
Red lentils are often overlooked as a staple ingredient for a veggie meal, but while they have a milder taste than green lentils, they are perfect for a spicy dish like this. The secret ingredient that makes this dish extra special is the addition of a small square of dark chocolate it brings out the subtle flavours of the dish perfectly.
