Lentil Chili

PaulaG's Note:

This is a lower fat alternative to chili. It is nicely seasoned, tastes great on a cold winter day and freezes well. This makes a delicious meal served with cornbread or crusty rolls. As this makes quite a bit, I usually put it into 2-quart containers, cool and freeze. The night before I am going to serve it, I put it in the refrigerator and allow it to defrost. Then heat and enjoy!

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 -3 garlic cloves , minced
• 5 -6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups lentils , rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 ½ ounce) can dice cut canned tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 -3 teaspoons epazote
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• green onion , sliced
• cheddar cheese , grated

Directions:

1. In a heavy stock pot, saute the onion and garlic until onion is transparent.
2. Crumble in the ground turkey and cook until turkey is cooked through, stirring frequently.
3. Add from broth through epazote, stir to blend, bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and cook on medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
4. At end of the cooking time, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
5. Garnish with sliced green onions and grated cheddar cheese.

Reviews

[FLKeysJen]

Will definitely be in my "Best of 2011" Cookbook! Easy to make and lots of bold flavor. The only change I made was to add in some red wine :-) The leftovers are just as good or better. I buy epazote at Penzey's and thought 2 tsp. was plenty.

[broke student]

This was so good! They ment it when Paula said it makes quite a bit. I used an entire bag of lentils because I was lacking self control, and it turned out amazing! I froze half and were eating the other half for lunches and dinner.

My only complaint on this recipe is the directions. Was I supposed to be sauteing the spices that weren't listed in the directions with the onions and garlic? Because of this I "free form jazzed" quite a bit of this recipe but it still turned out divine! Will not be making any other chili!

[Blissful74]

This is a pretty good recipe. By the looks of the spices involved, I knew I would have to add/improvise, but thats OK, everybody's taste is different. For the chili powder, I used part regular, part chipotle powder, and an extra tsp of cayenne. I also added oregano and coriander. In addition to the can of diced tomatoes, I added a can of hot jabanero rotel, some chopped mushrooms, 2 chopped jalapenos and chopped green pepper. I skipped the epazote as I don't have any. I will look into it however, next time I go to the health food store. I used a whole bag of lentils, plus added a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans. I topped it with mexi-blend cheese, lt. sr. cream, chopped green onions and cilantro. VERY YUMMY! All this barely fit in my pot - it made a ton. Plenty left over to freeze. I'll definately make this again!