How about a warm and nourishing bowl of soup to balance out all of those holiday sweets? With all of the cookie-baking and festive gatherings, I’m already having to pace myself. This chili is an updated version of a lentil chili that Ryan’s mom would often serve during our dating years, and there are many happy memories associated with this recipe. Here I’ve added quinoa for heartiness and fresh roasted green chilis for an extra layer of flavor. Nothing against canned chilis, those are great in a pinch, but taking an extra few minutes to roast them fresh adds depth and really sets this chili apart. Having big a pot of soup simmering on the stove in the midst of this hurried and often stressful month is always calming and quieting for me. Hope it is for you too.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped, about 3 cups
- 4 stalks celery, chopped, about 2½ cups
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound French green lentils
- ½ cup roasted green chills (recipe below)- substitute 2 3-ounce can chopped green chills in a pinch
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- For serving:
- extra roasted green chills
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onions, celery, and garlic until vegetables soften and begin to turn golden, about 8 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, salt, and pepper, and stir for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the lentils, chills, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add quinoa and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with extra roasted green chills, cheese, and/or sour cream.
- 10-12 green chili peppers (I used a combination of poblano and anaheim peppers)
- Preheat broiler. Lay chili peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place chills under broiler to char them, about 10-15 minutes total. Flip chills about halfway through the cooking time. Peppers should be blackened. Place chills in a bowl and cover the bowl with a large plate (or alternatively, place them in a paper bag and fold over to seal). Allow chills to steam for about 15 minutes, then gently peel off the blackened skins and discard.Slice stems off the chills and discard.
- Cut chills lengthwise and scoop the seeds out with a spoon or knife. Finely dice chilis.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
My husband Tom is going to LOVE this chili Emily. He is a huge lentil soup and chili fan, so combined it will surely be a winner. Your photos are just gorgeous! They make me want to grab one of those bowls right off my screen!
Emily says
Same with us, chili and lentil soup always and forever to be loved. 🙂 Thanks so much again for your constant support and encouragement, Mary Ann!
Dorcas says
Hi Emily!
I was just trying to figure out what to cook next week! Here’s the answer. Looks delicious and of course your photos of it are so beautiful too. Thanks!
Emily says
Thank you, Dorcas! Always so fun to hear from you! Hope you all love this soup.
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
I absolutely love using quinoa in soup. These looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Emily says
Me too, Karen! For the longest time, we’d always add brown rice to make things a bit heartier, but quinoa is such a nice change-up. Thanks for stopping by!
Aysegul says
This is totally my kind of food Emily. I have been doing a lot of baking myself for the holidays and my body is craving something healthy. This soup looks like the perfect dish when we need a break from all the sweets.
So simple yet so SO gorgeous. <3
Emily says
December is such a great excuse to bake lots of treats, but eventually I break down from all the sugar. I think I actually like the process of baking more than I enjoy eating (Ryan thinks I’m crazy!). Soup is one of those things I love making AND eating. 🙂 Thanks so much, Aysegul. xo
Jessie Snyder says
It sounds like we are both enjoying some cozy one-pot-wonders lately to balance out those plates of cookies lingering in our homes! Love it so much though <3. And this chili sounds incredible with those fresh chilis Emily! YUM. Merriest of Christmases to you and your sweet fam, enjoy some snow for me soon!! xx
anon says
This recipe doesn’t have any quinoa in it? how much did you use and when did you add?
Emily says
So sorry about that! I had it listed in the recipe directions, but not in the ingredients list. 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa, and add it during the last 15 minutes of simmering. Thanks again for catching that!
Nil says
Hi ! This recipe looks so good, but I have a question : does the lentils needs to be cooked or not before to add them in the pot ?
Emily says
Hi Nil, lentils should be uncooked before adding them to the pot since they will cook in the soup. Hope you enjoy!
Nil says
Thanks ! I try the recipe and it taste so good !
Alexandra Pitman says
Hi! Looks good! Does it freeze well?
Emily says
Hi Alexandra! Yes, this one freezes wonderfully. Wishing you joyous holidays!
Cate says
Hi! I’m giving this soup a try and wondered – should the lentils be cooked prior to being added to the soup?
Emily says
Hi Cate, lentils do not need to be cooked prior to being added to the soup. They will cook in the soup, so this recipe is pretty simple. Hope you enjoy!
traci | Vanilla And Bean says
There’s so much I love about this Chili, Emily… the ease, roasted poblanos (you hooked me there!), quinoa and lentils. The dollop of sour cream for tang… I love it all! No doubt we all need easy this time of year! Delicious work my dear! xo