Vegan Lentil Chili

A hearty soup is just about the best thing to cozy up with on the couch this time of year (especially now that season 4 of Portlandia is finally on Netflix!) You may think bacon, ground beef or a meaty broth would be necessary to add depth to chili but it’s really not so; this soup gets its comforting flavor from umami-rich tomato paste, various herbs and spices, and 30 minutes of gentle simmering to allow the aromas to meld together.

Lentils are a great legume to cook with as they do not require soaking prior to being cooked. When cooking with, say, kidney beans, you have to plan ahead and soak them for at least eight hours. But lentils can be cooked anytime, which is awesome. One major thing to remember is not to add salt to lentils until after they’re done cooking (this can be tough to remember since most of us are used to seasoning each layer of a soup). Adding salt to lentils while they’re still hard prevents them from softening properly, increasing the overall cooking time by about an hour. I’ve made this mistake in the past and it was not fun.

Vegan Lentil Chili
(Yield: 4-6 servings)
Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 c green lentils
• 4 c vegetable stock (organic, low-sodium if possible)
• Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish
• Sour cream, for topping (if desired)

Procedure: Place the lentils in a shallow dish and pick through for small stones; set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add onion and pepper. Season with pinches of salt and pepper and cook for about 6 min, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelize. Add garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne and cook for 1 min. In a small cup, stir together tomato paste with a bit of vegetable stock to dissolve. Then add tomato paste mixture, lentils and stock to the pot. Do NOT add salt - adding salt at this point will prevent the lentils from softening properly, increasing the overall cooking time by about an hour. Stir, cover tightly with a lid and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, crack the lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally. The lentils should be cooked through at this point. Season with generous pinches of salt and pepper, stir and taste. Re-season if necessary. Garnish with fresh herbs and sour cream, if desired.