So, one of my lofty goals in life is to eat more lentils and beans. Yep. That's pretty much my life's work. Eat. More. Food. No really, lentils and beans are unbelievably good for us and most people I know (including myself) definitely aren't getting enough. My goal is to have at least one dinner that has a substantial amount of either lentils or beans per week. For some reason, soup always seems to end up being the most practical implementation of this goal.
Now, I've never been a huge chili-loving person. Maybe it was the ground meat, I dunno, just never really loved the stuff. I prefer my chili mild and non-traditional. You know, the kind that's all like, "I'm-posing-as-chili-but-I'm-really-a-stew..." Yea, give me that one. The humble and kind one, not the self-assertive, rude, and overbearing one. Yes, in my mind chili is brash. But not my delightful Lentil, Tempeh, and Sweet Potato Chili...I'm not a crazy person, I swear.
If you're expecting this to be an in-your-face (like I said, brash), I'M CHILI, type of chili...this isn't that kind of dish. People get seriously all weird about their chili, so this is just a courtesy heads-up. I live in Alaska, not Texas okay?
However, if you want a completely lovely, and delicious non-traditional chili spiced with common chili spices that hint you could be eating some kind of cousin of chili...then, darling step right up and devour away.
A spiced chili-like stew filled with protein rich lentils and tempeh, and tender sweet potato.
Lentil, Tempeh, and Sweet Potato Chili
Serves 8-10
- Aromatics:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
- dash of black pepper
- Sustenance:
- 1 7 oz. package of tempeh, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced
- 2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (I like BPA-free cans and no salt added)
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups dry lentils (I like red)
- fresh chopped cilantro, for topping
In a very large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add the remaining aromatic ingredients and saute for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and the onions begin to soften.
Add the tempeh, red bell pepper, and sweet potato. Saute for a few minutes, then deglaze the pan with the canned diced tomatoes.
Add the broth and lentils. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat, then cover partially and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Next, remove the lid and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Serve hot and topped with fresh cilantro.
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German Word of The Day: Lentil --> Linse (pronounced: lynnzah)
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Then, transfer to a small serving bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Place in the fridge, covered with saran wrap, for about one hour.
