Vegan lentil veggie chili-soup: perfect for fall

Mmmm, lentils!

This bean is tasty and filled with great-for-you nutrients, as well as being super versatile.

I can eat them alone all the time or stirred in with some quinoa for a warm dish or cool salad, but my favorite way to enjoy lentils is in a soup.

The first time I made this recipe it was more traditional, but it has since evolved.

I changed it to my liking, and it has turned into more of a veggie lentil chili/soup, but still perfect for the cooler seasons!

What you’ll need

• 1/2 bag green lentils (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 bag red lentils (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced (or a half bag of baby carrots)
• 3 celery stalks
• 4 medium sized red potatoes, sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small white onion
• 1 box low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cans low sodium tomatoes
• 5 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• A dash of cinnamon (just a sprinkle, don’t overdo this one)
• Pepper to taste

To start, pour the vegetable broth, 2 cans of tomato (without draining) and cleaned green lentils in your soup pan, over medium heat. As it starts to warm, add olive oil, and sliced potatoes, as well as 2 cups water. Also add a bit of the chili powder and the pepper at this point.

Gradually stir in the rest of your veggies, red lentils, garlic, onion and the remainder of your water and seasonings (including the small sprinkling of cinnamon), and let the mix simmer for about an hour. For softer veggies, give it as much time as you prefer. But that’s really all there is to it.

This one pot dish is easy to make, and once you get it all in the pan, it really just has to sit for a while.

Makes about 6-7 servings, to be enjoyed for multiple days or with friends and family.