• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Girl Heart Food®
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dish Recipes

    Lentil Chili Recipe

    Published: January 31, 2020 Updated: January 31, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 11 Comments

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Bowl of lentil chili topped with diced avocado.

    This super thick and delicious lentil chili recipe is jam-packed with goodness, from lentils, meatless crumbles, and lots of veggies. It’s on the table quickly (with little fuss) and so filling! Garnish to your heart’s content!

    Bowl of lentil chili topped with diced avocado.

    Cold weather gotcha a little blah?

    There’s a remedy for that.

    Comfort food.

    And not just any comfort food.

    Eats that you can feel good about (and tastes delicious) like this super hearty lentil chili recipe.

    Ready to make some?

    Why We Love This Lentil Chili Recipe

    • It’s a great recipe to feed a crowd.
    • There’s very little prep work.
    • It’s made in an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot®) so it comes together quickly.
    • You can make it as spicy (or not) as you want.
    • Lentil chili is super hearty and tastes delicious!

    Ingredients Needed

    • Dried green lentils
    • Meatless crumbles
    • Veggies, like bell pepper, corn, mushrooms, and carrot
    • Aromatics, like garlic and onion
    • Seasonings, like chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper
    • Canned tomatoes and tomato paste
    • Veggie broth
    • Lime juice
    • Olive oil
    Ingredients for an easy vegan chili recipe.

    How To Make This Recipe

    Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

    1. In the Instant Pot, cook onion and garlic in a little olive oil using the “Sauté” setting.
    2. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for a bit.
    3. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings.
    4. Add lentils and veggies.
    5. Pour in tomatoes and vegetable broth. Cover, seal, and pressure cook.
    6. Once time is up and valve has gone down, carefully unlock lid. Set “Sauté” and stir in meatless crumbles & corn and heat through.
    7. Stir in lime juice.
    8. Grab a ladle or so of the yummy chili.
    9. Portion, garnish and enjoy!
    Collage of steps to make chili with lentils and veggies.

    What Type of Lentils Do I Use?

    Use dried lentils in this recipe, not canned.

    I like to use dried green lentils, but you could use brown.

    Don’t go for red lentils, though. They’ll go to mush by the time everything else cooks and ain’t nobody got time for that.

    Tip: Always pick over your lentils for any rocks, foreign objects and odd ones (discard those) and give them a rinse and drain.

    Close-up of a ladle of lentil chili.

    Do I Have To Soak the Lentils?

    Nope!

    Lentils require no soak time in this recipe.

    Garnish Ideas for Lentil Chili

    My favourite chili garish options are:

    • Avocado (diced or sliced)
    • Chopped cilantro
    • Sliced green onion
    • Sliced chili pepper
    • Shredded cheese (dairy or non dairy, whatever you prefer)
    • Drizzle of hot sauce
    • Tortilla chips
    Two bowls of lentil chili next to some toppings and crackers.

    Tips and Variations for Making Lentil Chili

    • Canned tomatoes vary in salt content. Depending on what brand you use (and your personal preference), you can always adjust the salt to taste.
    • Whole kernel canned corn is used here. You can use fresh or frozen, if you prefer.
    • Use whatever colour bell peppers you have on hand or prefer.
    • I like to use veggie broth for this lentil chili recipe, but you could totally use mushroom broth if you like.
    Spoonful of lentil chili from a bowl.

    Aside from enjoying a big bowl as is, this chili is delicious over nachos or fries. It’s such an easy game day recipe that would go over so well!

    More Recipes You May Enjoy

    • Easy Cornbread With Cheese
    • Three Bean Chili

    If you make this lentil chili recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

    Bowl of lentil chili topped with diced avocado.

    Lentil Chili Recipe

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    This super thick and delicious lentil chili recipe is jam-packed with goodness, from lentils, meatless crumbles, and lots of veggies. It's on the table quickly (with little fuss) and so filling! Garnish to your heart's content!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 24 mins
    Time for Instant Pot to Come to Pressure & Release Pressure 20 mins
    Total Time 54 mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 8 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 yellow or white onion, peeled and diced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 5 ounces fresh mushrooms (like cremini or white button), sliced (about 140 grams)
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 4 tablespoons chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, or chipotle powder
    • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1.5 cups dried green lentils, picked over (remove and discard any rocks, foreign objects and imperfect lentils), rinsed and drained
    • 2 bell peppers, diced
    • 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
    • 2.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth, or more if you want a looser or thinner consistency
    • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes roughly mashed with a potato masher to break them up before using
    • ½ pound vegan and gluten free meatless crumbles (soy-based crumble)
    • 1 (12-ounce) can corn kernels, drained (about 1.5 cups)
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice, from about 1 lime

    Instructions

    • Set Instant Pot to "Sauté."
      Note: Settings may vary on your Instant Pot, depending on the model. Please refer to the manufacturer's guide on how to use your Instant Pot.
    • Adjust the [+] or [-] button to set the timer for 12 minutes.
    • Add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes.
    • Add mushrooms and cook, stirring every so often, for 3 minutes.
    • Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
    • Add lentils, bell peppers, carrots, vegetable broth and tomatoes. Stir. If timer is still on, press "Cancel."
    • Close and lock lid. Set the vent on the lid to "Sealing" (steam valve in closed position). Ensure you follow the manufacturer's guide for closing and locking the lid.
    • Next, select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" (default high setting) button (depending on which model you have). Adjust the [+] or [-] button to set the timer to 7 minutes (it may take 10 to 15 minutes or so for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before it starts counting down the 7 minutes).
    • Once pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for the 10-Minute Natural Release method.
    • Once 10 minutes is up, follow the manufacturer's guide for Quick Release and wait until the Quick Release cycle is complete. Unlock and remove lid, being careful of any remaining steam (ensure you follow the manufacturer's guide for unlocking and removing the lid).
    • Turn the Instant Pot to "Sauté" and adjust the [+] or [-] button to set the timer to 5 minutes. Stir in meatless crumbles and corn and cook for about 5 minutes or so or until it's heated through.
      Note: Add a little more vegetable broth and heat through if you want a looser or thinner consistency to your chili.
    • Stir in lime juice.
    • To serve, divide the chili into bowls and garnish (as desired) with your favourite chili toppings. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Canned tomatoes vary in salt content. Depending on what brand you use (and your personal preference), you can always adjust the salt to taste.
    • Whole kernel canned corn is used here. You can use fresh or frozen, if you prefer.
    • Use whatever colour bell peppers you have on hand or prefer.
    • Ensure you are familiar with the manufacturer recommended operating instructions and know how to properly/safely use your Instant Pot (or any kitchen appliance/device/tool you are using).

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword chili with lentils, Instant Pot chili, Pressure cooker chili

    Tried this recipe?

    If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!

    « Vegan Golden Milk (Turmeric Milk)
    Leek Risotto With Goat Cheese »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    © Girl Heart Food Inc. All photographs and content are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Valentina

      February 04, 2020 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      Such a delicious vegan meal. I love all of those combined healthy flavors! Every bit as hearty as a meat chili. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        February 10, 2020 at 12:42 pm

        Thank you Valentina! I think so too 😉

        Reply
    2. David @ Spiced

      February 03, 2020 at 9:12 am

      5 stars
      Yum! We’ve been making a different soup/stew/chili each weekend for our lunches the next week. It’s helping us stay on track with the lower calories, and it’s working! But that also means we need new inspiration each week. I’m thinking this chili could appear on the list soon. Believe it or not, but we don’t have an instant pot. That’s cool, though. I could totally adapt this for a traditional cooking method…or even the slow cooker!

      Reply
    3. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes

      January 31, 2020 at 8:36 pm

      5 stars
      I love meals like this – comforting, warming, healthy and easy! Can’t wait to try it out!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        February 03, 2020 at 9:26 am

        Woo hoo! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    4. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

      January 31, 2020 at 6:50 pm

      5 stars
      I cannot wait to try this! You know I’m obsessed with lentils! It’s still too cold here for my liking, so I’m in total comfort food mode. Have a great weekend, Dawn!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        February 03, 2020 at 9:25 am

        Yay!! Hope you love it, Kelsie! Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    5. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers

      January 31, 2020 at 10:20 am

      5 stars
      Comfort food is absolutely what gets me through the Winter! This looks like a perfectly hearty and comforting bowl of goodness right here 🙂

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        February 03, 2020 at 9:25 am

        Same here! Thank you Jennifer!

        Reply
    6. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

      January 31, 2020 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      That’s a warm bowl of comfort right there! I love how easy this comes together and all the flavors are perfect. Sometimes comfort food has a bad rap for not being good for you, but not this chili! It’s got everything good going on!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        February 03, 2020 at 9:25 am

        Totally! Thank you Kathy 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Profile picture of Dawn from Girl Heart Food.

    Hi, I'm Dawn! Welcome to Girl Heart Food, a food blog that's all about easy comfort food recipes (especially cheesy recipes) that'll satisfy your taste buds and make your belly happy. Have a look around and find something that'll inspire you to get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious to enjoy today!

    More about Girl Heart Food →

    Currently Trending

    • Stack of six cheesy ground beef quesadillas.
      Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
    • Old-fashioned cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and dill garnish in a serving dish.
      Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls (Inspired by Nan)
    • Cheesy baked broccoli and cauliflower in a dish.
      Broccoli Cauliflower Bake (Vegetable au Gratin)
    • Ground turkey rice bowl.
      Ground Turkey Rice Bowls
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails & updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Girl Heart Food Inc.

    Girl Heart Food® is a Registered Trademark.

    Use of this site constitutes acceptance of its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.