Lentil Chili (Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Demo Video)

A rich and hearty bowl of warm lentil chili is perfect for a cold winter evening. The lentils give a boost of iron and folate, and pairing them with chard (or another green) adds some vitamin C to help you absorb that iron. Top it off with some avocado slices or an avocado cream for a special treat.

I’ll show you how I make the whole thing in my electric pressure cooker with the browning function. Mine is a Cuisinart model, but it would be the same as in an Instant Pot. But you can easily follow the same steps on the stovetop, it just takes longer for the lentils to cook.

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Lentil Chili

Rich and satisfying, hearty chili is the perfect meal for a winter evening. Pairing those iron-rich lentils with vitamin-c-rich tomatoes and cilantro means that you’ll be absorbing much more of the energy-boosting nutrient than if you ate the beans alone.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time24 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lentil chili

Servings: 4 bowls

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Heather Nicholds, C.H.N.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil or 1-2 Tbsp water, vegetable broth, or red wine
• 1 onion diced
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic minced or pressed
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste or crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup lentils dry
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 cups chard or beet greens, chopped
• sea salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
• 2 green onion chopped

Instructions

• Saute the onion and garlic in the oil, water, broth or wine - either using the browning feature of your electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot, or in a pan (if transferring to a pressure cooker) or large soup pot (if cooking on the stovetop). Once the onion and garlic are soft, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, spices, and water/broth.
• Pressure cooker or Instant Pot: Securely lock the lid, make sure the pressure valve is seated properly, set to high pressure for 8-10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then unlock and open the lid.
  

  Stovetop: Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, then turn down to simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Turn off the heat.
  
• Add the chard, stirring it through to wilt. You may want to put the lid back on for a couple of minutes for it to steam.
  
• Scoop into bowls, and garnish with fresh cilantro/parsley and green onions, maybe a drizzle of avocado cream (see note), and enjoy.

Video

Notes

To make an avocado cream for drizzling on top, just puree some avocado with salt, nutritional yeast, green onion and just enough water to make it thick and creamy.

Tried this recipe?Tag me @HeatherNicholds so I can see!