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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Main Dishes

    45-Minute Lentil Chili (Vegan)

    Updated Jul 1, 2022 by Lori · THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

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    Even though this lentil chili is quick and easy enough for a weeknight, it just might be the BEST vegan chili you've ever tasted. Seriously! There are a few tricks to making meaty, thick, deeply flavorful vegetarian chili, and once you taste the difference you'll be hooked. Be sure to check out the reviews!

    This red lentil chili is naturally vegan and easily made gluten-free and oil-free.

    overhead view of hearty lentil chili in a pot.
    Rich, thick, red lentil chili with depth of flavor to match the amazing texture.

    Why You'll Love It

    The most difficult thing about this lentil chili recipe was figuring out what to name it because so many awesome descriptors apply! It's simultaneously:

    • The Best Lentil Chili
    • The Best Vegan Chili
    • Easy 3-Bean Chili
    • and the Only Chili Recipe You'll Ever Need!

    Basically, this lentil chili is perfect in every way. (In case you can't tell, I'm REALLY excited about it.)

    The flavor and texture are exactly what crave in a bowl of chili. But it's much simpler than my other vegan chili recipe and comes together in just 45 minutes!

    While I love the other chili recipe, it's more of an event, you know? Specialty ingredients. Plenty of dirty dishes. And who has time for that on a regular basis?

    So I wanted to come up with an all-around amazing vegan chili recipe that's just as exciting, but easy enough to make anytime, even on weeknights. 

    I know what you're thinking... everyone says they have the best chili. But seriously, friends. This is good. It's not like the flat, tomato-y, thin vegetarian chili recipes you've tried before.

    This lentil chili is rich, thick, smoky, flavorful, and balanced.

    I hope you love it as much as we do. Give it a try and report back to let us know!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love It
    • Key Ingredients
    • How to Make Red Lentil Chili
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • More Lentil Recipes
    • Recipe Video
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    close up of red lentil chili with bulgur and 3 types of beans.

    Key Ingredients

    The same secret ingredients listed here are used in that more complex vegan chili I mentioned. It's inspired by an America's Test Kitchen chili recipe I came across years ago. I kept tweaking the recipe each time I would make it and even won a few local chili cook-offs with the recipe. 

    This time I've simplified the process even more.

    I ditched the step of making your own chili powder because I'm guessing 99.9% of you don't want to track down specialty dried peppers, toast them in the oven, then grind them into powder, right? Yeah, me either. Store-bought chili powder to the rescue!

    But we are keeping a few of the America's Test Kitchen ideas because they're critical for making epic vegan chili, while taking shortcuts where we can.

    • Walnuts - ground walnuts thicken the chili and add a richness that's missing from a lot of vegetarian chilis. Instead of turning on the oven to toast the nuts, we give them a quick toast on the stovetop in the same pot we'll use to make the chili.
      • For nut-free simply omit the walnuts, and decrease the water by ¼ or ⅓ cup. 
    • Bulgur - bulgur wheat is inexpensive, easy to find (look for it in bulk bins), and adds a ground beef-like texture while also thickening the chili.
      • For a gluten-free option, sub millet or quinoa. Or for extra protein use TVP (textured vegetable protein).
    • dried mushroom powder - instead of the dried shiitake mushrooms called for in the original recipe, which then had to be ground into powder, I use Trader Joe's umami mushroom powder as a shortcut. Feel free to omit this if you can't get your hands on any powdered mushroom seasoning.
    close up of spices and ingredients in lentil chili.

    How to Make Red Lentil Chili

    While my "Best Vegan Chili" takes closer to an hour-and-a-half start to finish, this lentil chili recipe is ready in just 45 minutes.

    Watch the video below to see the recipe come to life. Here's the basic flow:

    1. Prep and gather all ingredients. Once you start cooking it moves quickly! Preheat a soup pot over medium-low heat and toast the walnuts for a few minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Move ground walnuts to a bowl and set aside.
    2. Add the onion, jalapenos, and garlic to the food processor. Blend until mostly pureed.
    3. Return the pot to the stove, and increase heat to medium. Add the oil, if using, and the spices. If not using oil, add the blended onion mixture before the spices. Stirring, cook the spices for about 1 minute. Add the pureed onion mixture to the pot, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
    4. Add the smoked salt, tomatoes, soy sauce, broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Add the lentils, bulgur, beans, and ground walnuts, and stir well. Return to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    5. Turn off the heat, and give the chili another good stir. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. The chili will continue to thicken as it rests.

    Like most chili recipes, it tastes even better the next day.

    Substitutions

    • Gluten-free - sub millet or quinoa for the bulgur and using tamari instead of soy sauce.
    • Oil-free - omit the oil used to sauté the veggies and spices. See the Notes section in the recipe card about reversing the order of Step 3. Basically, you'll add the onion mixture to the pot before adding the spices.
    • Nut-free - either omit the walnuts and reduce the water slightly, or add a bit more oil when blooming the spices for more richness.

    Tip! If you need to omit the walnuts or bulgur because of an allergy, use only two cans of beans and stir in half a can of refried beans for extra thickening.

    Variations

    With the addition of red lentils in this chili, it doesn't need three types of beans. So unless you just really love a bean-heavy chili, feel free to pare down to your two favorites. I really enjoy it with just pinto and black beans.

    In a hurry? Not into lentils? Omit and reduce the water by ½ cup. This chili is still loaded with satisfying beans. As an added bonus, omitting the lentils means shaving a few minutes off the cook time!

    a big pot of vegan chili with a cup of chili on the side.

    Serving Suggestions

    I love this chili so much that, honestly, I don't even like the distraction of toppings. But you do you!

    Add your favorite chili fixings like cilantro, green onion, fresh or pickled jalapeños, shredded vegan cheese, and sour cream.

    Pair lentil chili with any of these vegan cornbread recipes: 

    • Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
    • Savory Skillet Cornbread
    • Oil-Free Cornbread

    I hope you love this Lentil Chili as much as we do. If you try it be sure to leave a comment and rating below (it not only helps me, but it helps other readers find recipes they'll love). 

    Happy cooking!

    Try our other vegan chili recipes: Vegan White Chili and Beyond Meat chili!

    More Lentil Recipes

    • Lentil Taco Meat (Stovetop or Instant Pot)
    • EASY Instant Pot Red Lentil Curry
    • Instant Pot Peanut Curry Lentil Soup (No Coconut Milk)
    • Black Lentil Salad

    Recipe Video

    Click to play the video and see how to make lentil chili!

    📖 Recipe

    close up of chili in a pot showing thick meaty texture.

    45-Minute Lentil Chili (Vegan)

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    Are you ready for the BEST lentil chili? It's thick, rich, meaty, so flavorful and won't keep you in the kitchen all day! Adapted from an America's Test Kitchen recipe I've been making for years, this one keeps the select ingredients and methods critical for making the best vegan chili, while streamlining the process and removing unnecessary steps. The result is a vegan chili you'll return to again and again. Gluten-free and oil-free options.
    Servings: 10 servings
    4.99 from 54 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 45 mins

    Equipment

    • food processor
    • pasta/soup pot

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup raw walnut halves - if allergic, omit and reduce water by about ¼ cup. TIP: another option for added thickening is to stir in half a can of refried beans at the end of cooking.
    • 1 large red or yellow onion, cut into chunks
    • 2 large jalapeno peppers, stems removed - for mild chili remove the seeds; for spicier chili include all or some of the seeds.
    • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
    • 2 Tablespoons oil such as avocado, olive or grapeseed - omit for oil-free.
    • 3 Tablespoons chili powder - the blend, not a specific chili.
    • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 2 teaspoons mushroom powder, optional
    • 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt flakes or ¾ tsp regular fine sea salt)
    • 1 (28 oz) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
    • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce - Sub tamari for GF.
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 ½ cups water
    • ⅔ cup red lentils
    • ⅔ cup bulgur or TVP - For GF sub millet or quinoa; rinse and drain before adding to pot. TVP is also GF.
    • 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained, optional - Include if you like a lot of beans in your chili, otherwise, skip 'em.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Tip: Once cooking begins in Step 4, things move quickly, so it helps to have all or most of the ingredients gathered and prepped.
    • Preheat a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Toast the walnuts until warm and fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Transfer walnuts to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Transfer the ground walnuts to a bowl.
    • Add the onion, jalapenos, and garlic to the food processor (see Notes section). Blend until mostly pureed.
    • Note: If omitting oil, reverse the order of this step; add the blended onion/jalapeno mixture to the pot first, then add the spices. Otherwise, for the best flavor, bloom the spices in oil as described below.
      Return the pot to the stove, and increase the burner to medium heat. Add the oil to the pot. Add the spices (3 T chili powder, 1 T cumin, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp smoked paprika, and 2 tsp mushroom powder). Stirring frequently, cook for about 1 minute. Add the pureed onion mixture to the pot, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
    • Add the smoked salt, tomatoes, soy sauce, broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Add the lentils, bulgur, beans, and ground walnuts, and stir well. Return to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Once the lentils are done, turn off the heat, and give the chili another good stir. Taste and add a pinch more salt or a drizzle of soy sauce, if desired. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. The chili will continue to thicken as it rests.

    Notes

    Note on prep: there are two ways to go about preparing the onion, jalapeno and garlic. You can hand-chop them or let the food processor turn them into a puree. I've prepared this chili both ways, and initially published the recipe with instructions to hand-chop the vegetables.
    After another try I decided to change the instructions with a preference for using the food processor. Not only is it easier and faster than chopping by hand, it creates a more flavorful chili. But if you prefer chunkier chili with pieces of onion, jalapeno, and garlic, finely chop them and sauté in oil for about 5 minutes (step 3).
    Storage: the flavor of the chili continues to improve as it sits. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
    Chili can also be frozen for up to one month. 

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 14gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gFiber: 13gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1307IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 114mgIron: 5mg

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.

    Tried the recipe?I love hearing from you! Share your feedback below!

    More Vegan Entrees

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kathy

      January 27, 2023 at 8:38 am

      I really enjoyed this recipe! It is so quick and easy, yet has amazing depth of flavor and a perfect texture. I followed the recipe exactly as written and look forward to making this again.

      Reply
    2. Mary

      January 21, 2023 at 2:07 am

      This looks AMAZING!!! Would you suggest decreasing the liquid if using an InstantPot? THANK YOU!!!

      Reply
      • Lori

        January 21, 2023 at 8:44 am

        That's a great question, Mary. Sorry to say I haven't made it in the Instant Pot yet. But yes, instead of 5.5 cups liquid (water + broth) , you might want to reduce it to 4 cups. The dry lentils and bulgur absorb a good amount, so it does need more liquid than most Instant Pot chili recipes.

        Reply
    3. Doug Tee

      December 29, 2022 at 11:01 pm

      Unbelievably delicious. No meat eater would think this is a vegan chili - it has a great chew, courtesy of the Bulgar/lentils/roasted walnuts. The depth of flavor is better than restaurant caliber, owing to the variety of spices.

      * Next time I’ll simmer the beans and lentils an additional twenty minutes. They were a bit al dente for us.

      BTW, this recipe makes a ton of food, so plan for guests when you make this. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
    4. Leigh

      November 26, 2022 at 1:57 pm

      This is just the best. My family really enjoyed it and I have made it several more times. I put the leftovers in Souper Cubes and pull them out for a quick lunch. Great recipe and easy to do.

      Reply
    5. Krysta

      November 13, 2022 at 8:50 pm

      This chili was INCREDIBLE! Even my carnivore husband loved it and he hates vegetarian meals. I made it with Annie's refried black beans instead of walnuts, quinoa instead of bulgar, green bell pepper instead of jalapeño, and used an immersion blender for half of the chili at the end instead of the food processor before cooking. We topped it with feta, sour cream, plantain croutons and avocado. Perfection.

      Reply
    6. Claudia

      August 28, 2022 at 6:12 pm

      Excellent Chili! I used no oil and only one large jalapeño. Very “meaty” and quite delicious.

      Reply
      • Erin

        September 29, 2022 at 4:49 am

        An easy and very tasty chili. I used a red chilli and quinoa as substitutes and turned out amazing.
        I will be using this recipe again.

        Reply
    7. Danielle Luhrs

      June 10, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      This is by far the BEST chili recipe ever! Made it last night and I'm enjoying the leftovers as we speak. Can't wait to try more of your recipes! Thank you!

      Reply
    8. Kathe

      May 15, 2022 at 10:53 am

      I have some dried porcini mushrooms. If I grind them up, will that be the same as "mushroom powder", do you think?

      Reply
      • Lori

        May 15, 2022 at 11:15 am

        Yes, that works great. It’s how I used to make chili before I started looking for short cuts. 🙂 You can also just leave it out if you don’t feel like the added step. Enjoy!

        Reply
    9. Lisa Marlow

      April 17, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      Hi Lori, the recipe sounds great and I'm anxious to try it.
      I know the mushroom powder is optional but I have a question.
      I don't like the taste of mushrooms but I don't have a problem with their texture.
      Does adding the powder give a pronounced mushroom taste or flavor? If it really adds something special to the dish I might try it but probably not if it's just normal mushroom flavor.
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lori

        April 17, 2022 at 12:33 pm

        Hi Lisa, good question! Honestly, there are SO many other flavors going on, with the spices and veggies, I think you will like it either way. You won't taste mushroom if you do decide to include the mushroom powder. So in your case I would recommend just omitting it. No need to buy an ingredient you may not have much of a use for in other recipes.
        Hope you enjoy!!

        Reply
    10. Lisa

      April 10, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      This IS the best chili ever!! Absolutely delicious! My husband swore there was beef in it! It’s so meaty tasting! Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Mary

      January 02, 2022 at 9:17 pm

      Do you think cooking this in an Instant Pot would harm the flavour any? Thanks for a GREAT recipe!

      Reply
      • Lori

        January 03, 2022 at 9:38 am

        Hi Mary, I think cooking it in the Instant Pot will be great. You'll want to use the sauté function for steps 2 - 4. Then once you add all the other ingredients I don't think it will need to cook long. Maybe high pressure for 5 minutes? I would stir in the ground walnuts at the end, after pressure cooking. Hope that helps!

        Reply
        • ShaunD

          April 20, 2022 at 8:27 pm

          Just made your chili in my Instapot! Came out perfect! Very tasty! I used millet in place of the bulgar and Umami seasoning in place of the mushroom powder.

          Reply
          • Janet

            January 06, 2023 at 6:53 am

            Did you decrease the liquid using the instant pot? Thanks!

            Reply
    12. Sherri

      December 10, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      I've tried several vegan chili recipes and this one is by far my favorite. It is saved and starred in my recipe book. Thank you for this one! I just found your website about a month ago and I am enjoying it so much. I especially love the name of your website, My Quiet Kitchen.....so peaceful.

      Reply
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    Lori Rasmussen, Owner/Creator

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

    Learn more about me →

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