Skip to main content

Shortcut Chili

There must be as many recipes for chili as there are cooks. This one has the surprising addition of lentils and the smoky spiciness of chipotles.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce (see page 286)
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 15-ounce can of red kidney beans, drained
1 15-ounce can of lentils, undrained
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Sour cream (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and salt in the oil until soft, 5 to 10 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add the chipotles and the bell peppers, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the beans, lentils, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until everything is hot. Stir in the cilantro. Serve topped with sour cream, if you wish.

  2. Ingredient Note

    Step 3

    In addition to or in place of the chipotles, add 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (page 235).

  3. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 4

    Serve spooned over Polenta (page 184)or Yellow Rice (page 179), or with cornbread or tortilla chips. Then cool your palate with Mango Coconut Sorbet (page 271).

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
Read More
Like potato pea chowder and green goddess grain bowls.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Thinly sliced and cooked hot and fast, pork tenderloin is the juicy, cook-quicking weeknight champion of this vegetable-heavy stir-fry.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Like spicy carrot rigatoni and weeknight-fancy ravioli with peas.
This lasagna soup delivers rich, baked-pasta flavor without an oven. Made with Italian sausage and spinach, it’s a fast, weeknight-friendly take on the classic.
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
Chopped kimchi and soy sauce transform mellow tuna salad into your new favorite riff on the classic diner sandwich.