I cannot think of a week before the Super Bowl that has dragged on so slowly as this one has.

Today we get:

  • A story about Gisele Bundchen emailing her friends and family to send Tom Brady positive energy and pray for her husband. Well of course she emailed everyone to think good thoughts about her husband. Go look at your Facebook feed right now. Check your email. I’ll give you 3:1 odds that someone in your circle has done the exact same thing, but instead of it being about the Super Bowl, you’re supposed to be praying for a promotion for someone at Bob’s Big House of Insurance, Tires and Pastries.
  • Will people think Super Bowl L in a few years means “loser” because we’ve forgotten how to read Roman numerals? To which I say, lupus in fabula.)
  • Madonna doing Victor Cruz’s salsa dance and answering a question about A-Rod’s art collection.
  • You know what is fun during the week before the Super Bowl? Celebrity Super Bowl predictions, especially when given by Ryan Gosling. (Shhhhh… I know it’s not real. You’re ruining the moment.)

Lentil Beer Chili

Consider blasphemy if you like, but for the most part I prefer lentil and bean chili over beef chili. Beef chili weighs you down, sitting in your stomach as if you had swallowed a bowling ball whole. Lentils and beans are filling without being heavy, spicy chipotle provides the heat and beer gives the chili a rich, smoky taste.

This chili can be made in either the Crock-Pot or in a heavy kettle on the stove, depending on your kitchen needs on game day. I made this batch on a day when I was using the oven and the stove for other things, so the slow cooker it was.

My guests? Yeah, they’re lentil and bean chili converts too, even though they’re all heavy meat eaters.

You will need:

1 generous cup dried lentils, rinsed (I used dried green lentils since I was cooking this for hours in a slow cooker. If making on the stove top, you might want to use the fresh vacuum packed lentils found in the vegetable aisle.)
2 large yellow onions, diced (Should be about a pound and half of onion)
2 green bell peppers, 2 red peppers (In total, you need about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds of your favorite peppers), diced
1 15-16 ounce can of black or pinto beans, rinsed
25-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato puree
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, diced
22-24 ounces of beer, (I use the 22 ounce size of Guinness for a darker, slightly bitter taste, but you can use a lighter beer if you want a milder chili.)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Scallions

That extra beer was just the one I was about to drink. Not sure why I put the Eel River Porter in the shot, other than maybe I am bragging I had an Eel River Porter.

If you’re making this in a slow cooker, heat to high and put the onions and bell peppers on the bottom of your Crock Pot since they’re going to need more heat to cook, then beans and lentils, spices and minced garlic and chipotle peppers.

Then on top of that, the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and beer.

Cover and let cook for at least five to six hours. As always, do not lift the lid too often to check on the chili. Removing the lid lets all the heat you’ve built up in the Crock Pot escape and you’re adding valuable cooking time to your chili. After four hours or so, remove the lid and give it a stir, check the lentils for softness, and keep heating until lentils are the texture you prefer (probably another hour or so after four hours).

Tip: If the beer has reduced too much and left the chili too bitter, add a touch of sugar to balance it out.

If you are making this on the stove top, first soften the onions and bell peppers in a touch of oil in your stock pot, then add everything else save the lentils, let cook for about 30 minutes, add the fresh lentils then heat for at least 15-20 more minutes.

Serve with chopped scallions.

The recipe as posted is vegan, but if you want to add sour cream and cheese (or vegan sour cream and vegan cashew cheese) go for it, because this chili is spicy!

Lentil Beer Chili: 28 Days of Super Bowl Recipes
Author: 
Recipe type: entree
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12-16
 
Lentils and beans make up a spicy beer chili that won't drag you down.
Ingredients
  • 1 generous cup dried lentils, rinsed (I used dried green lentils since I was cooking this for hours in a slow cooker. If making on the stove top, you might want to use the fresh vacuum packed lentils found in the vegetable aisle.)
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced (Should be about a pound and half of onion)
  • 2 green bell peppers, 2 red peppers (In total, you need about 1½ - 2 pounds of your favorite peppers), diced
  • 1 15-16 ounce can of black or pinto beans, rinsed
  • 25-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup tomato puree
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, diced
  • 22-24 ounces of beer, (I use the 22 ounce size of Guinness for a darker, slightly bitter taste.)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • Scallions
Instructions
  1. If you're making this in a slow cooker, heat to high and put the onions and bell peppers on the bottom of your Crock Pot since they're going to need more heat to cook, then beans and lentils, spices and minced garlic and chipotle peppers.
  2. Then on top of that, the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and beer.
  3. Cover and let cook for at least five to six hours. As always, do not lift the lid too often to check on the chili. Removing the lid lets all the heat you've built up in the Crock Pot escape and you're adding valuable cooking time to your chili. After four hours or so, remove the lid and give it a stir, check the lentils for softness, and keep heating until lentils are the texture you prefer (probably another hour or so after four hours.)
  4. Tip: If the beer has reduced too much and left the chili too bitter, add a touch of sugar to balance it out.
  5. If you are making this on the stove top, first soften the onions and bell peppers in a touch of oil in your stock pot, then add everything else save the lentils, let cook for about 30 minutes, add the fresh lentils then heat for at least 15-20 more minutes.
  6. Serve with chopped scallions.
  7. The recipe as posted is vegan, but if you want to add sour cream and cheese (or vegan sour cream and vegan cashew cheese) go for it as this chili is spicy!
Notes
Can be made on stove top in under two hours.

 

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