Lentil chilli

Name: Lentil chilli
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: North America
Ingredients: 400 g green or black (Beluga) lentils, rinsed; 400 g canned black beans, drained; 800 g canned crushed tomatoes; 1 litre vegetable stock; 1 large onion, diced; 1 large red capsicum (bell pepper), diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp chilli powder (ancho or regular); 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice, to finish; 1 cup sour cream, to serve; 1 cup grated cheddar, to serve; 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

The American pantry at its most resourceful: black and green lentils in a smoky, cumin-heavy chilli that needs no meat

Origin: North America

From the journey of Lentils.

Lentils arrived in North America with European colonists in the 17th century. The Pacific Northwest, the Palouse region of eastern Washington and Idaho, eventually became one of the world's largest lentil-growing regions, producing millions of tonnes annually. The American lentil chilli emerged from the same spirit of resourcefulness that defines American frontier cooking: building deeply flavoured, warming, sustaining food from pantry staples. Unlike bean chilli, lentil chilli needs no soaking and is ready in under an hour. It absorbed the flavours of the American Southwest, cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle, to become a dish entirely its own.

Ingredients

Base

400 g green or black (Beluga) lentils, rinsed
400 g canned black beans, drained
800 g canned crushed tomatoes
1 litre vegetable stock

Aromatics

1 large onion, diced
1 large red capsicum (bell pepper), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste

Spices

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chilli powder (ancho or regular)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
0.5 tsp dried oregano

For cooking

2 tbsp olive oil

Seasoning

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Finish

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice, to finish

To serve

1 cup sour cream, to serve
1 cup grated cheddar, to serve
1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion and red capsicum over medium heat for 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chipotle; cook 2 minutes more.
Add the tomato paste and all dry spices. Stir for 1 minute until the spices are fragrant and coating everything.
Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 25 minutes.
Add the drained black beans. Continue simmering for a further 15 minutes until the lentils are completely tender and the chilli has thickened.
Finish with apple cider vinegar or lime juice. Season generously with salt. Taste and adjust heat and spicing.
Serve in deep bowls with sour cream, grated cheddar, and fresh coriander. Cornbread alongside is the American classic.

Notes

The Palouse region of Washington State and Idaho produces roughly 35% of the world's lentil supply, making the Pacific Northwest the unlikely global capital of the lentil. The National Lentil Festival is held each August in Pullman, Washington. Despite the region's dominance, lentil chilli is a national American dish, cooked from the Southwest to New England.

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control