French Lentil Chili

originally published October 2016

My kids love my usual chili, and I'm a little shy to admit that it's not my usual from scratch cooking. Instead, it's more a can of this, and a jar of that, unless I have homemade salsa (the jarred kind) and leftover cooked beans (that happens 50% of the time). One thing for certain, unless it's peak corn season—the corn is always frozen, and that's a perfectly fine ingredient in my book. That chili is the total opposite of this French Lentil Chili. It's not to say this French Lentil Chili is complicated. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The main difference is this chili is one I love because lentils are my bean of choice. The fact that they're quick cooking is a big bonus, too. The whole chili comes together in about an hour, and it's a great heat and eat meal, so put up a pot on the weekend, and you've got an easy weeknight dinner.

French lentils, instead of red or green lentils, are always my lentil of choice. They have character, and maintain their shape when cooked, even if you overcook them a bit (hey, it happens to the best of us). I had homemade jarred tomato puree, so that was a nice touch here, but any plain, unseasoned tomato puree will work fine.

I like to serve this topped with roasted butternut squash (recipe coming soon!). You can serve it over rice, quinoa, or just as-is. My kids would revolt if I served chili without shredded cheddar cheese. I skipped it on mine, but I'll let you decide for yourself, so skip it, add it, use a different cheese altogether. That's the beauty of cooking at home. You're the boss in the kitchen.

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