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! 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, easily made gluten-free and/or oil-free, and ready in 45 minutes.
Why You'll Love It
The most difficult thing about this lentil chili recipe was figuring out what to name it because it's like 5 recipes in one! It's:
- The Best Lentil Chili
- The Best Vegetarian and Vegan Chili
- Easy Bean Chili
- and The Only Chili Recipe You Need!
Basically, this lentil chili is a slam dunk. (In case you can't tell, I'm REALLY excited about it.)
The flavor and texture are exactly what you crave in a bowl of chili. But it's simpler than my other vegan chili recipe and comes together in just 45 minutes!
While I love that 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, balanced, and versatile.
I hope you love it as much as we do. Give it a try and report back to let us know!
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Key Ingredients
The same secret ingredients listed here are used in the other 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 and added red lentils for even more protein, thickness, and nutrition.
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.
How to Make Lentil Chili
Watch the video below to see the recipe come to life. Here's the basic flow:
- 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.
- Add the onion, jalapeños, and garlic to the food processor. Blend until mostly pureed.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Tip! Like most chili recipes, it tastes even better the next day.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free - sub millet or quinoa for the bulgur and use 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 I've updated the recipe to only include two cans of beans. But if you enjoy a bean-heavy chili, feel free to include a third can.
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!
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:
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. Your feedback 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
Recipe Video
Click to play the video and see how to make lentil chili!
📖 Recipe
BEST Lentil Chili (Vegan, Ready in 45 Minutes!)
Equipment
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 rounded 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.
- 2 (15 oz) cans beans, rinsed and drained - pinto, black, and/or kidney
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
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
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.
Kate
I made this recipe last night, it is friggin' amazing! So delish and feels super nourishing!! I used fresh shiitake mushrooms and a punnet of organic cherry tomatoes (in addition to regular canned tomatoes) - it turned out perfectly! Served with a nice salad and dollop of creme fraiche, loved every mouthful!
Lesley
I made this tonight and it was, as my husband said, "fantastic!" I found this while searching for recipes to use up a bunch of garden grown jalapenos that a friend gave us. I didn't expect to find such a wonderful recipe that I'll be adding to the normal rotation! Because I didn't have everything on hand, I subbed quinoa for the bulgur, used regular crushed tomatoes, regular sea salt, and no mushroom powder. I can't wait to try it again once I get all the right ingredients! And I love that I don't have to chop up the jalapenos by hand with gloves on! Thank you so much for such a unique and easy recipe.
Kat
I've made a lot of different vegan chilis, but this one is that absolute best. My mostly non-vegan husband agreed. The texture, the flavor, the color, and the aroma were all perfect. I'm so glad that I found this recipe. I can't wait for the leftovers. Chili always gets even more flavor after a night in the fridge.
Kate
Forgot to also ask as I'm in the UK and grew up in Australia, I've never heard of Fire Roasted Tomatoes and can't seem to find them here!
Lori
Regular tomatoes will be great. The fire roasted ones just add a little more of a smokiness to the chili, but it will be fine without. 😀
Kate
Hi there,
Lentils don't agree with me, is there a sub for those. I did think of mung beans as I've used them before in lentil recipes.
Cheers
Kate
Lori
Hi Kate,
The easiest thing would probably be to use all 3 cans of beans and just enjoy a bean chili. You could simply omit the water and lentils, or you could increase the bulgur to 1 cup to make up for that lost texture of the lentils and decrease the water to 1 cup. I hope that helps!
Kate
That does help, thanks so much!!
Lauren
Made this chili for the first time and it's a real winner! The flavors are terrific, it's meaty, hearty and filling. I used buckwheat grain which added another dimension of texture. Thanks for all your creative and easy recipes. Now, I'm headed over to your Thanksgiving section for more ideas!
Mandy
Yum
Used quinoa
Added a drizzle of tahini at the end. So good!
Sara
This is seriously the most delicious chili recipe. I’m the only vegan in the family but my husband and kids actually prefer this to “regular” chili. I have made it 3 times in the last 3 weeks!
AJ
I'm a new vegan (vegan-in-training) and I actually love this chili! It was really good. I didn't have the mushroom powder or bulgur (used brown rice instead) and I omitted the oil. Followed directions and it turned out great! I'm having to retrain my pallet so having a tasty recipe that is healthy and vegan is a WIN-WIN!! Thank you. I'll be trying more recipes and will make this again!
Sal
I'm sad, this didn't hit my taste buds like I thought it would. The soy sauce through the flavor off for me.
Lori
I'm sorry to hear that, Sal. Obviously we all have very different tastes and preferences, but honestly I'm surprised you could detect 2 tablespoons of soy sauce above all of the spices, pepper, tomato, and onion. That makes me wonder if something was off about the spices you used, or potentially mis-measured? By chance did you make any changes to the recipe? If not, maybe you would prefer it next time using only sea salt for the saltiness.
Vicki
Do you think I could use buckwheat cereal in place of the Bulger? If not, I will use quinoa. Thanks. I made this once before and it was really good
Lori
Great question, Vicki. I've never thought about buckwheat in this chili. The cook time seems like it would work. The only concern I have is whether the buckwheat will tend to clump together. I definitely think it's worth a try!
Amanda
That really was weeknight chili! I cook a lot and I always get irritated how they’re like “5-minute whatever,” and I’m like, “yeah but you have to pull out 20 things from your cabinet”, which takes time! And I did have to pull out a lot of things for this recipe (for a good reason) but it still was fast! Thank you!!!! I just added the beans and lentils and stuff, so I haven’t tried it yet but it smells good and I’m so happy it was actually fast!
Lori
This made me giggle. I'm happy you're happy that it's quick, Amanda! After years of making a much more complicated chili, I love the speed of this one, too!
Amanda
It was so good! I'm making it again tonight! Even though I don't feel like cooking because I know it's fast! Thank youuuuu!
Kristen
Made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly, with no oil... although didn’t have smoked salt. It is absolutely delicious. Like shockingly good! Well done, and thank you!
Krista
This chilli was so delicious!! I’ve tried a lot of vegan chilli recipes, but this one is by far my favourite! The texture is so good with the bulgher, and the lentils make it heartier than other chilli recipes. I’m making this again tonight, and adding chopped, sautéed sweet potatoes. This recipe is a keeper!
Lori
I love the sweet potato idea and may do that next time, myself! Thank you for the awesome feedback, Krista! 😀
Nanci Thomsen
I made a half recipe and found the recipe easy to work with and the result was a well-seasoned thick chili. For thickening, I used 1/2 cup of instant dried refried beans - worked great and it was what was on hand. I also made veggie "broth" from dried mixed veg and boiling water. I also added a quarter cup of diced canned mushrooms that I pureed with the onions. Great recipe. I could access my pantry and easily make substitutions as recipe indicated. No need to go to store for ingredients.
Lori
Mmmm I love the addition of mushrooms. Nice job making it work with what you had on hand! I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Nanci!
Rosa
Made this for the second time tonight and it deserves a second review! SO MUCH FLAVOUR! I skipped the oil, and sauteed the veggies and spices all together in some broth, used the quinoa option and dried beans that had been previously cooked. Amazing!
Lori
Thanks for the great feedback, Rosa! I’m so glad you love it!
Linda
Any chance you could convert to Instant Pot?
Lori
Hi Linda,
Sorry about the delayed response! I haven't tested this, but I think making it in the Instant Pot should be pretty easy. Most of it will use the saute function, steps 1 through 3. But I would be very careful not to burn the walnuts. I find the saute function in my IP to be very hot!
Then in step 4, add everything as mentioned except for the cooked beans (stir those in at the end just to heat through). Lock on the lid and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Quick release, stir in the beans, and taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Hope that helps!
Lynn
This is REALLY good (like chili w/meat 😜). I struggle getting my husband to eat vegetarian meals, but he loved this as much as me. The "sauce" tastes like it simmered all day! I cooked all beans from scratch and it was well worth it 👍
Rosa
Made this with the quinoa option and 3 cans of beans. So delicious! Absolutely loving the depth of flavour here. Amazing recipe! Would definitely make again! 🙂
Lori
So glad you enjoyed it, Rosa. Thanks for the feedback!
Nina Windhauser
The texture of this recipe is spot on!! It's also very flavorful. The second time I made this, I put it on low for 6 hours in the crock pot. My house smelled amazing!
Lori
The crockpot is a great idea, Nina. I'm so glad you love it!
anthony
Hi Lori,
First time trying out one of your recipes, and it was quite good. I used farro rather than bulghur, and mushroom powder from some capsules that I had around, with some shredded cheddar cheese on top. I'm thinking of a few other changes for a more complex texture, perhaps diced rather than crushed tomatoes, and not using the processor on the veggies, but sauteeing them instead. That being said, I think some of the complexity of the taste came from processing them as you suggested. Corn bread tomorrow! Thanks!
Lori
Hi Anthony,
The farro sounds great! Glad you enjoyed the chili. And yes, diced tomatoes would work well, too, and give you more texture. I tend to enjoy chili that has some texture but isn't overly chunky with vegetables, but that's the great thing about chili... very easy to adapt! You could even puree half of the veggies and leave half of them diced/chopped for a bit of both perks. 😀 Another option is to puree one onion and add another one, chopped. I may try that next time. Thanks so much for the feedback! Hope you enjoy the cornbread.
Emily
I made this chili over the weekend, and it turned out wonderfully. I love the addition of the ground toasted nuts and the red lentils, both of which give a hearty texture that I've been missing in other vegetarian chili recipes. Thank you so much for this recipe and for your lovely website. I'm a new fan, and I can't wait to try your other recipes <3
Lori
So glad you enjoyed it, Emily. 😀 Thanks for being here!
Nori Nitschke
OMG! This chili is/was so good! I loved the extra touches with the walnuts and roasting the spices….it was rich and very thick! I do not use oil, so no oil, quinoa instead of bulger, homemade tomato sauce instead of canned, fresh beans soaked overnight and cooked in the instant pot. Coincidently Iheard from a friend, the day we made this, that she and her daughter had both come down with Covid! 2 qts of chili and homemade bread sent right over! The recipe made 4 full qts of delicious chili!!! I also made the oil free cornbread…it was moist and delish! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks, Nori
Deborah
One of the best! Next time I will leave the jalapeño out, as it was a tad too spicy, but otherwise a great recipe. My mother, a meat eater, didn’t even know it was vegan. Just what we needed on a cold day.
Nina Windhauser
I've made several plant based chilis over the past 5 years and this is hands down, my favorite! I made the oil free version and used the bulgur. I think the bulgur is definitely key. It has the perfect texture, just like minced meat. I used 2 cans of beans. Thank you so much!
Lori
Woohoo, that's great to hear, Nina! I totally agree about the bulgur. Thanks for the feedback!
April
I made this tonight and am so excited. I have had it on the menu for 2 months and finally was able to make it. I used TJ's quick cooking farro instead of bulgar. It worked perfectly. I also used beef broth instead of veggie which is fine with us. It's a little salty (and I went easy on the salt and only 2 teaspoons of soy sauce instead of 2 Tb). Thank you for this delicious chili! I'm waiting to see what my fam thinks!
Tana Black
My fiancé said it was the best chili he’s ever had!
Lori
That’s awesome! Thanks, Tana!