Black beans, lentils, and quinoa are a powerhouse combo in this tasty vegetarian Red Lentil Quinoa Chili recipe! This vibrant vegan chili is easy to make and oh so flavorful!
I wasn’t joking earlier this year when I declared I would be making ALLLLLL the chili recipes.
When life gets crazy I lean in and stock the fridge with recipes that can either be made in advance or make the most glorious leftovers. Chili always gets passing marks in both categories – it’s such a powerhouse and one of my favorite dishes that is oh so easy to load up with extra veggies.
I’ve come up with a few t-rex varieties per Paul’s request, but most of the chilis I’ve been faceplanting into lately have been vegan and/or vegetarian with lots of beans and vegetables .
Today’s recipe is the star of my beloved Vegetarian Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and is finally getting its own post on the blog. I’m so excited for you to try it!
Red Lentil Quinoa Chili Ingredients
- yellow onion
- bell pepper
- jalapeño(s)
- avocado oil or olive oil
- fresh garlic
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- smoked paprika
- water or vegetable broth
- canned crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- canned tomato sauce
- canned black beans
- dry red lentils
- dry quinoa
- salt and pepper
Want to kick up the heat? Make this chili spicy by adding the seeds from the jalapeño into the mix or even using two jalapeños in your chili. Another option is some ground cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for some tasty fire in your bowl!
If you’re like me and love a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder in your chili (I tried it once years ago and can’t make chili without it – its so good!) feel free to add 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder plus any extra to taste.
I love using fire roasted crushed tomatoes in this chili but you can 100% use regular crushed tomatoes in its place if that’s what you have in your pantry. Choosing crushed over diced usually means smaller tomato pieces throughout the chili (my fav) and the added can of tomato sauce adds a nice thickness to the chili. Love it so!
Tasty Topping Options
- sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers
- sour cream (regular or vegan)
- sliced or cubed avocado
- fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- grated cheddar cheese (skip for vegan)
- fresh cilantro
- chopped green onion
- fresh or pickled onions
- diced tomatoes
- sliced olives
- crispy corn chips
Serving Suggestions
This tasty chili is great paired with my Fluffy Bakery-Style Cornbread Muffins or my soft and slightly sweet Easy Homemade Cornbread!
You can serve this Red Lentil Quinoa Chili on a baked (or microwaved) sweet potato (SO GOOD!) I usually do this with my leftover chili for lunch the next day! Simply heat up your spud via your preferred method and use a fork to fluff/mash the insides. Top with a cup or two of reheated chili and all your favorite toppings from the list above. Enjoy!
Red Lentil Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño plus extra to garnish
- 1-2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 2-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 TBSP chili powder
- 1 TBSP cumin
- ¼-½ tsp smoked paprika (adds a little smoky flavor)
- 1 ½ cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed fire roasted tomatoes with juices (diced works too)
- 1 can (15 oz) canned tomato sauce
- 2 cans (15 oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
- ⅓ cup dry red lentils
- ⅓ cup dry quinoa
- salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a kick
- veggie broth or tomato sauce to adjust thickness if desired
- corn or diced carrots for a little extra veggie in your bowl
- all the tasty toppings your heart desires!
TOPPING INSPIRATION: choose your favorites
- sliced or diced jalapeños
- pickled red onions
- fresh pico de gallo or salsa
- sliced avocado
- sliced green onion or scallions
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream or greek yogurt (vegan or regular)
- shredded cheddar cheese (skip for vegan)
- corn chips
Instructions
- Measure out ingredients and dice veggies. For less spicy chili use a spoon to remove seeds and pith from the jalapeño before dicing, for spicier chili dice everything but the stem. You can even add a second pepper!
- In a large pot, heat 1-2 tsp oil and sauté onion and peppers until tender.
- Add garlic and spices and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Drain and rinse black beans and rinse quinoa and lentils. Next add the beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (liquid and all), uncooked quinoa, lentils, and vegetable broth.
- Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice if needed. If you have extra time and would like to cook on low for even longer, go for it!
- Taste and season with any additional spices desired. Extra mix ins like corn or kidney beans are also awesome here if you'd like your chili even chunkier. Have fun with it!
- All that's left to do is portion into bowls, pile on your choice of toppings from the list above, and enjoy! Leftover chili reheats like a dream the next day if you end up with extra – I love having mine over a microwaved sweet potato.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this red lentil quinoa chili recipe, let me know!
You can leave me a comment below (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Loving Lentils Lately?
Y’all know I’m a sucker for alliteration! Hah! Here are some of my favorite lentil recipes from the blog:
I also have a tasty round up of 7 Lentil Recipes Vegans and Vegetarians will Adore.
Questions & Reviews
Delicious! I added diced carrots and the cocoa powder, both from optional suggestions. Whole family loved it. Thank you!
While I haven’t tried a lot of your recipes (yet!), everyone I tried is to die for yummy and this one is a winner too and will stay on our rotation.
Thank you Nic! So so happy they’ve all been winners!
I was so happy to see this recipe. Today is the first time I found your blog and I am loving it. But I have questions about the lentils and quinoa. My novice experience with both is they need rinsing before cooking, especially the quinoa to remove the bitter coating. I hope that is right and I assume I would do that and add them in at the same time? It doesn’t say when to add the lentils in the recipe. I’m pretty excited to try making this!
So excited you found me, Laurie! I’m so used to rinsing lentils and quinoa I didn’t mention it here but I’m updating the recipe to include it. You’re totally right – rise those babies and add them at the same time. Hope you enjoy it! I love the leftovers on a baked sweet potato – such a filling lunch!
I LOVED this recipe! I used my instapot and it turned out amazing! I added extra tomato juice to make it more chili like, and it worked out great! This is a true keeper for a non-meat eater like me. Thank you so much 🙂