I am totally back in the groove in the kitchen these days. In my earliest weeks (okay months) of pregnancy, cooking was a struggle. I’m sure you noticed. But I promised you if you’d just hold on, I would eventually make it up to you. And now week by week, meal by meal, I am trying to do just that.
I apologize to those of you who live in climates where you are still wearing shorts and sundresses. Fall has arrived in Seattle and I just can’t help myself. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s nesting – either way, all I want to make are hearty meals that can be eaten on the couch under my favorite fuzzy blanket. I encourage you to do the same.
Sweet Potato and Lentil Veggie Chili
Ingredients: (makes 8 servings)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1.5 cups green French lentils
- 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- salt to taste
Instructions: In order to make a proper chili, you’ll need to use a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions to the pot with a bit of olive oil, and sauté for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add carrots and sweet potatoes, and continue to sauté and stir until partially cooked.
After allowing the vegetables to cook for about 15 minutes, add the jalapeno pepper. If you like a more spicy chili, you might want to consider adding an extra pepper as well.
Next add your tomatoes. Try to find a variety that is fire roasted or has a bit of extra flavor and kick. Don’t drain, just open and dump.
Finally, add the lentils, broth, and spices. Make sure to use green French lentils. Red lentils will turn to mush!
Bring chili up to a simmer and then turn the heat down to low and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until lentils are fully cooked and chili has thickened. If it becomes to thick (or you prefer a less hearty soup), you can also add an extra cup of water.
Season to taste with (lots of) salt. Serve piping hot in your favorite mug.
I made some delicious (gluten-free!) cornbread to go along with this soup too, but that recipe will have to wait until later in the week – still needs a bit of tweaking.
Note to my slow-cooker friends, I definitely think this recipe could be made in a crock-pot too! Just add all the ingredients and cook until flavors have developed and lentils have softened.
I told you guys I wasn’t kidding about being totally in fall mode now. This hearty lentil chili is so simple and tasty, and I’m sure the leftovers are even better. I can’t wait to pull them out of the freezer on a cool November day, when my baby is screaming and an easy, simple meal is more than needed.
I hope you like it as much as I do – enjoy!
96 Comments so far
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I love chili, I just wish it were cooler in Florida right now so I could make it!
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This looks SO good, I think I’ll try the crockpot version and come back to you with how it went!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Awesome!! Please let me know if you get a chance! Believe it or not, I don’t own a crock-pot. Crazy!
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Katie KS Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 1:42 am
Um you need a crockpot. It’s essential for momhood:)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Haha I know! I tend to use my rice cooker for all crock-pot related things though, so I haven’t really felt compelled to get one yet.
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Sounds delicious! I hope you enjoy it in November, but I certainly hope your baby won’t be screaming while you do. :)
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I’m planning on a version of Iowa Girl Eay’s chili with cornbread in a mason jar soon– WHY does cornbread go so well with chili?? Why am I questioning the perfection?? haha
Glad you’re stocking up the freezer– so smart for when you’re short on time and sleep in a month or two.
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Looks delicious! I love that you served it in a clear mug–it’s so pretty! I am always looking for new crockpot recipes, so I will definitely be trying this.
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My absolute FAVOURITE types of meals! In fact I would say I cook lovely, hearty one pot stew like dishes probably 9 months of the year, with zero regards to the weather! I can’t help it! :) Thanks for another yummy looking recipe to try! It actually got a little windy here last night which surely means autumn is on it’s way! Woo hoo!
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I’ve never made an all veggie chili. I made my first turkey chili of the season last night, but I love this version! It’s healthier and still filling! YUM!
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Looks wonderful! I need to cook with lentils more. :)
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I can’t wait until it gets cool enough in Orlando for chili. I love how it makes the whole house smell so yummy!
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It’s definitely fall here too! I love chilis and soups – they are my favorite fall meals!
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I am absolutely book marking this recipe (I’m pretty sure I say that about all of yours!) but I truly cannot wait to make this one! Thank you for the recipe Emily :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
You are most welcome!
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I love the idea of sweet potatoes in chili, sweet and comfortable! Fall is definitely my favorite season for many reasons, but food is certainly a big one. :)
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This recipe looks so good! I will have to try it :)
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Emily this chili looks awesome! I love sweet potatoes in soup and I love that this doesn’t have a million ingredients :) Can’t wait for the corn bread!
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May be a dumb question – but why a heavy bottomed pot?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Not a dumb question! For things that cook for long periods of time, the heavy bottom helps conduct the heat better and makes it less likely to burn. :)
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This looks delish. I had to laugh when I saw this, though, because just over the weekend I made your potato-pea-curry recipe, but with sweet potatoes and onions. And served it over lentils. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Haha too funny. Hope it turned out well!
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Jes Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 8:42 am
Haha, yes, it was delicious. Kept the peas in, too. I’ll have to make this AND your actual other recipe soon! :)
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I’ve been craving chili something crazy lately – this sounds great! Thanks Emily!
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Hi! Can you use precooked lentils for this? If so, when do you add them?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Hi Sara! I haven’t used pre-cooked lentils before, but I assume they work similar to canned beans. I would add them in the last ten minutes or so, and I would also cut the liquid down to 2 cups or so (and then adjust as needed). A lot of the cooking liquid gets absorbed by the dried lentils, so you don’t want yours to be too watered down!
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molly l. Reply:
October 30th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Sara- thanks for asking and Emily, thanks for answering! I just realized mid-veggie saute that I have the pre-cooked ones and I’m glad I checked the comments before I used too much liquid. I’m planning to simmer this for a couple of hours until guests come over- do you think my lentils will be ok? Thank you!
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This looks amazing. I have been looking for new chili recipes for the fall and I am going to def use this one.
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This is perfect for the cool, rainy weather here in NY today :)
Chili is the ultimate fall food.
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Agreed!
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Love how this recipe is so different from anything I’ve seen! Can’t wait to try it …
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Yum! This looks delicious and I love how it incorporates a few new fiberlicious ingredients into the chili mix.
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It’s 90-ish in Southern CA this week. I love Fall and am anxious for it to get here. Late in the summer, we get this weird pattern where it’s like 60 in the morning and then 90 by about 1 PM, then cold again.
BTW, I have smoked paprika, and it tastes very strong to me. So seeing 1 Tbsp made me do a double-take, but I’d have to try it!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Haha well some smoked paprika is stronger than others, so use your discretion if you have a particularly potent batch! :)
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Question about Lentils. They never seem to get fully soft for me, they always have a crunch to them or hardness. Even when I cook them in the crock for hours on end. Is that just the way they cook up or am I missing something?
Thanks
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
French lentils should always have a little bite to them. Red lentils tend to turn to mush pretty quickly. Usually lentils need a ratio of 3 to 1, water to lentils. Perhaps add a bit more water so that it all gets soaked up? Like I said, they will always have a little bite, but definitely shouldn’t be crunchy.
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carey Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 7:19 am
Thanks, they were french lentils, so that explains it. I don’t really like that little bite they have to them, will try red lentils in future.
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Alison Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 7:13 am
I would actually try the brown lentils – they have less bite than the green lentils but don’t turn into mush like the red.
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The photos of this chili have me craving my mom’s vegetable soup. I can almost taste it!
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Great fall flavors. Looks like a wonderful chili recipe.
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It looks so warm and comforting. I’d definitely have to make it ahead of time though. When I want dinner, I never have the patience to let something cook for an hour. Can’t wait for the gluten-free cornbread!
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Looks great! Can you recommend a substitute for the carrots? I have some in my family that have an aversion to cooked carrots.
Also, the other day I made the butternut squash and black bean enchiladas and they were so good! THANKS!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
You can definitely swap out the carrots for extra sweet potato or butternut squash, or just leave them out entirely.
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Yum! I’m in chili-and-all-foods-fall mode, too. I just made a pumpkin chili using tofu instead of meat.It was so good. Now I’m wondering if I should take a cue from you and freeze some for the baby’s arrival…I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself from eating it all before he gets here!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
That sounds delicious! I am a little sad I didn’t at least save one leftover serving for my lunch the next day. Now it’s all frozen – too late!
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I can’t wait to try this!! I’m out of sweet potatoes though and hope it will work with butternut squash!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Squash will definitely work!
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Lynne Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
This was AMAZING!! Added some shaved parmesan on top (we are not vegetarians…yet) and it was delicious!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Awesome!!
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That sounds wonderful. Even the pics are comforting – I’m sure relaxing with a big ole’ mug of it would be an awesome way to end a day (especially a rainy day like it is here).
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
YES! It’s such a great way to finish off the day.
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hey emily- would you happen to know the weight of the sweet potatoes? i bought two that are a little under a pound, would these be big enough? Thanks!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Shoot, I’m not sure. I would say that yours are probably fine. It’s really more of a guideline than a necessity. You can always add extra carrots if it doesn’t seem like enough veggies.
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Yum yum yum! I love sweet potatoes in anything and chili sounds awesome!
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I love chili!*
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Beautiful recipe, Emily!
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This looks so delicious! We must be on the same wavelength – I did a healthy version of chili fries tonight with roasted sweet potatoes and veggie lentil chili. We’re recipe twins.
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I make a lot of Chili in the fall/winter and never thought to add lentils. I will definitely try it. Happy Fall!
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this looks incredible! Kinda funny though, I’ve been pouring lentil soup over a baked sweet potato all week!! This is a nice (a bit more normal) combo! cant wait to make it!!
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darn! i just made some tempeh chilli and it was good…but not as good as this one looks! I have like 10 sweet potatoes so this is next on my list for sure!
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It’s still quite hot here in Southern California, but I love cooking soups like this all winter long. I actually have some French lentils and yams right now. Maybe this recipe is fate?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Most definitely.
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as a beginner cook i have a lot of questions… feel free not to respond if you don’t have the time i understand! i was wondering how much olive oil would be good for this recipe? 1 TB? thanks again!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I think 1 tbsp would be plenty for the veggies!
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Oh my goodness! I was just thinking with the arrival of cooler temps, that a big batch of chili is just what is needed to celebrate the arrival of fall! Thanks! :)
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I love your apology to those of us living in warm climates. I shall now apologize to myself. It’s still in the 90s here, and it’s totally not right!
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I made this last night and am having it (cold) for lunch today. It’s soooooo delicious. I used a large can of organic diced tomatoes (couldn’t find fire roasted), used 1.5 jalapeno peppers, and added a few cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of cumin, and some kale. I’ll most definitely be making this again!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Sounds delicious! Glad you liked it.
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I just had sweet potato stew/chili on Monday, but I already want to make this this week too. Stews and soups are the only good thing about cold weather, and this looks fantastic.
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Do you have a recommendation for a heavy bottomed pot for someone on a budget?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 3:57 pm
A lot of people get the expensive Le Creuset cookware, but I have a much less expensive option from Crate and Barrel (it’s Mario Batali’s line):
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/enamel-cast-iron/mario-batali-red-4-quart-dutch-oven/s641014
It’s still not exactly cheap, but much less than the Le Creuset!
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Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:26 am
I went to Williams Sonoma the other day and got a full on lecture from the shop employee who said that Staub is MUCH better than Le Creuset (its actually cheaper too).
Le Creuset’s handles can’t go in hot ovens and they are much more likely to chip and get stained. Also Staub’s lids allows for steam cooking, which is great for keeping in moisture!
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Shanna Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Ha ha. Don’t start the debate! I did some research on this while I was looking into buying some Le Creuset and the debates on chow hound can get pretty heated. It seems that it comes down to the price people are willing to pay, personal preference, and the batch that people get. You’ll get people who swear by and against each brand.
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Yum yum yum :) made this last night and it was so good that I could not stop eating. When I woke up this morning I was still full!
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe
Margret
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Made this for dinner tonight – was a BIG hit – DELICIOUS!!!
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oh it smells so good! the paprika….Making this right now in Pacific Palisades, CA…foggy and cool so it seemed like a good plan for tonight! Thanks for a new take on chili.
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Can you please tell me how many calories for 2 cups serving. I don’t see it.
Oh, if you can give all the nutritional info, that would be great.
Thanks.
mama
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Hi Mama. :) I didn’t calculate the nutrition facts for this, but you can enter the ingredients in the recipe calculator from Spark Recipes! I love that tool!
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Yup, this works with a crock pot. Brilliantly, I may add. I was looking for a way to use my stash of lentils and sweet potatoes. Success, I’ve found one! And now, I have packed lunches until the end of October (may be exaggerating, but it looks like it).
MAN IS THIS SPICY!!! LOVE IT! Although I did a newbie movie and substituted cayenne pepper for chili powder, since I didn’t have any around. I even increased the amount of jalapenos. Won’t complain about lack of taste here…
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Ahh glad to hear it – thanks for letting us know! You are brave for the cayenne/chili swap – YUM! :)
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made this tonight, and delicious doesn’t begin to describe how wonderful this chili is! and the house still smells divine!
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[...] For the rest of the recipe and procedure visit Emily’s site! [...]
I made this last night for my boyfriend & I in London. Was incredible! A touch of the south for me (being from Texas) and a yummy discovery for my very british boyfriend! (He went back for seconds.. then thirds!) YUM, Thank you :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Yum! Glad to hear it!
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Just took it off the stove. Yummy!
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In the crock pot now!
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I made a double batch of this tonight for lunches this week plus four frozen servings for later! It’s so delicious and hearty and very different than anything I’ve made before! I absolutely love it!! Yummmm.
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just made this for dinner tonight!! great fall recipe! i love the way the different spices work so well together :)
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[...] Daily Garnish Sweet Potato and Lentil Chili: [...]
Made this for dinner tonight and it was quite yummy! I packed up the leftovers into single serve containers to pop in the freezer and I’m looking forward to bringing them to work for lunch.
I’m going to try it in the crock pot next time around.
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Hey Emily,
I’ve made this twice now, so I wanted to leave a comment (I love when people chime in with comments and substitutions or changes after they made the dish). The first time my jalapeno was uber spicy (I didn’t taste it until after I dumped the whole thing in). So I ended up adding in extra veggies to balance it out. I didn’t realize until tonight that I haven’t been using French lentils. I’ve been using green lentils, but not french – there a little softer and bigger, but still works. Also, I always make giant batches of grains and freeze them, so my lentils were already cooked and it worked fine – just lowered the liquid a bit. I made a couple of changes, but my favorite was to chop and roast the sweet potatoes first. I love roasted sweet potatoes.
Overall, this is a great fall/winter recipe. Easy, healthy, tasty, flexible, and freezes great.
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I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! I substituted lentils for red and white kidney beans and it worked out great. I am not much of a cook so when I try out new recipes that are easy and yum, I get excited! My brother, who is a chef and fellow Johnson and Wales graduate thought it was fabulous. Thanks for a fabulous veggie chili recipe.
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I made this tonight and it was so good!!! My boyfriend (a chili fan and big meat eater) was skeptical but said it was the best vegetarian chili he has ever tried! Thanks :)
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[...] (adapted from Daily Garnish) [...]
Making it today! Can’t wait! Love your Vegan recipes :)
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This was delicious, thank you so much!
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