Beef and Lentil Chili
Chili is a cold-weather favorite and this Beef and Lentil Chili is a hearty recipe filled with ground beef, French lentils, chopped veggies, and plenty of spices.
This Beef and Lentil Chili is a hearty dish perfect for cold days. It’s a spicy chili filled with ground beef, French lentils, chopped veggies, and spices–don’t forget to whip up a batch of cornbread to serve
Disclaimer: Muir Glen Organics sent me a selection of their Muir Glen Reserve Harvest tomatoes. I was neither asked to create nor compensated for this post/recipe. However, I love cooking with Muir Glen Organics and found the reserve tomatoes exceptional in this chili. All opinions are, as always, my own.
Chilly Season = Chili Season
The fireplace is on and the weather outside is reminiscent of the biting chill that I remember from many frosty Chicago nights. Those nights when one deep breath outdoors leaves your nasal cavities raw and your eyelashes fringed with frost. When you hug the sides of buildings as you walk through the city, or better yet, grab a cab for a two-block ride.
The truth of the matter is, that while it is rather cold, I have become rather wimpy after a decade of California living. It doesn’t take much for me to wrap the scarf a little tighter and complain of the bone-chilling temperatures.
Warmth through Beef and Lentil Chili
Once the mercury drops, I find myself craving heat. For me, that means hot and spicy foods – warm comfort by the spoonful. It was in the Windy City that I fell in love with chili, and since then I have loved playing around with variations on a good classic chili.
Making Beef and Lentil Chili
Tonight I marveled at the beauty of French lentils. Like little jewels, they almost look as though they should be strung on silk and worn, instead of in a rustic dish like this. But pour the dainty beans into a pot of Beef and Lentil Chili, and it soaks in the flavor robustly, lending a sophisticated texture that my bean-dubious children are happy to dig their spoons into.
I hope you stay warm and toasty through these cold winter spells, and find some time to cozy up with a fiery bowl of this chili. All that is left to do is bake some cornbread.
Disclaimer: Muir Glen Organics sent me a selection of their Muir Glen Reserve Harvest tomatoes. I was neither asked to create nor compensated for this post/recipe. However, I love cooking with Muir Glen Organics and found the reserve tomatoes exceptional in this beef and lentil chili. All opinions are, as always, my own.
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Beef and Lentil Chili
Ingredients
- 1 cup French lentils du Puy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 oz pancetta diced
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1 leek rinsed, quartered and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 7 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes if you desire more heat, opt for fire-roasted
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- cilantro chopped
- scallions sliced
- cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Place lentils in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef and pancetta, stirring often and breaking down the ground meats until evenly crumbled and the pancetta is crisp.
- When browned, add the onions, leeks, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, marjoram, and thyme. Stir in tomato paste.
- Add carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and drained lentils.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.
- Cook slowly with the lid partially covering the pot, stirring and tasting periodically, adjusting seasonings as necessary, for about 1 hour (or more).
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and some cilantro, if desired.
- To serve, garnish with more cilantro, green onions, cheddar cheese, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
Absolutely loved this chili lentil recipe: )
I’m so glad, Brad! My family has been craving chili, so I’ll be making it again soon, too.
That’s a lot of cayenne pepper! I reduced it down to 1 tsp and it still had quite a kick! Put a spicy warning on the recipe somewhere! Otherwise, I liked the recipe and would make it again with a serving for 4 instead.
Would red lentils work? Are French lentils hard to find (or just playing hard to get in their little French maid outfits :) )?
Ha ha! Thanks for the visual! Yes, red lentils works – any lentil will! I do like the French lentils, and have good luck finding them at markets such as Draeger’s.
I feel like i become a complete different person (angry, crabby, annoying) during winter and in spite of living in NY, IL, Idaho for few years, I still cant handle winter and now cold weather in Dallas bugs me. Warm, comfort one pot dish like this chili is just perfect for those times :)
My in laws live in Dallas and I’ve heard there have been cold spells. Seems like this winter in particular has been rather biting, in general! As long as I can have my comfort food, I’m happy :) But I certainly am looking forward to spring.
warming and comforting! and festive too, those little lentils looking like confettis
Oh, they do, don’t they, Amelia! Those lentils are just so dainty :)
This is what I want for my Sunday supper! All I need is a chair by the fire and I’d be in heaven with this meal :).
Yes indeed! Our fireplace has been getting a lot of use lately :) Perhaps I should just move the dining table closer.
Happy New Year Liren! With it chilly and rainy this weekend, hubby and I have been enjoying inside and with a fire. Your chili looks and sounds amazing. Oh and that corn bread. I am debating what to make for dinner tonight – this looks awfully tempting! :-)
Happy New Year, Lisa!! I am loving all the cozy evenings with the fireplace…if only we never had to go outside!