Slow Cooker Lentil Taco Chili

Name: Slow Cooker Lentil Taco Chili
Cuisine: Mexican, Latin American, American
Ingredients: 1 cup dry green or brown lentils; 1 medium onion (white or yellow); 1 green bell pepper; 1 red bell pepper; 1 jalapeño pepper (plus extra for topping, if desired); 3-4 cloves garlic; 2 cans black beans (15 oz each) drained and rinsed; 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes; 3 cups vegetable broth; 2 cups frozen corn; 1 cup salsa (choose your favorite!); 2 TBSP chili powder; 1.5 TBSP ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp smoked paprika salt and pepper to taste; 2 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro plus extra for topping, to taste Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo:2 cups finely diced roma tomatoes 1 cup finely diced white onion; 1 jalapeño (seeds/stem removed); ¼-⅓ cup fresh chopped cilantro; ½ lime, juiced; ½-¾ tsp salt or season to taste; More Tasty Topping Options:; crushed tortilla chips grated cheese sour cream sliced avocado; sliced or diced jalapeño peppers

12 steps

Updated at: Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:55:11 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Nutrition per recipe

Calories2559.3 kcal (128%)

Total Fat47.2 g (67%)

Carbs422 g (162%)

Sugars96.8 g (108%)

Protein141.4 g (283%)

Sodium9949.6 mg (497%)

Fiber146.1 g (522%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Step 1

This recipe was developed using a 6-QUART slow cooker. Cook time will be approx. 5 hours on HIGH or 9-10 hours on LOW heat.

Step 2

Pick over lentils, removing any broken pieces.

Step 3

Rinse in a fine mesh colander or sieve.

Step 4

Next prep your vegetables.

Step 5

Peel and dice onion. Remove stem/seeds from peppers and dice.

Step 6

Peel garlic and finely mince. Measure out remaining ingredients.

Step 7

This is the fun part - toss everything but the toppings in a 6-QUART crock-pot! To your slow cooker you will add chopped onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, beans, corn, crushed tomatoes, broth, salsa, spices, and lentils. Mix it all up and secure the lid.

Step 8

Want your chili spicy? Go for it! Feel free to add extra jalapeño on top, use spicy salsa in place of regular, and you can also control the heat of the chili by adding ground cayenne pepper to season your chili.

Step 9

Set slow cooker to HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 9-10 hours, until lentils are cooked through and tender.

Step 10

Serve with rice, cornbread, or straight up with your choice of toppings. It's fabulous every which way!

Step 11

To make the pico, tinely chop onion, tomato, and jalapeno.

Step 12

Combine with the juice of 1/2 a lime, fresh cilantro, and season