Whew! Another weekend full of fun DIY stuff at House Hubbard. Dave finally was back home after two weeks out of town on production for work. So this weekend we made up for lost time with a lot of fun projects at home – beer making, chicken roasting, bread baking and canning. I even bought a pie pumpkin and got it processed It feels good to be back in the groove.

And, we made chili. Yes, it is still hot. But chili sounded so good. So we made it happen. It was pretty warm in the kitchen, but so worth it.

Speaking of this hot September we’re having… it seems like it has already gotten fall-dry even though the summer weather is still here. This is a tough combination. We’ve been guzzling water today.

PLEASE NOTE: I am aware that the yogurt in the photograph is not vegan. Just because my garnish in the photo isn’t vegan doesn’t mean my chile recipe isn’t. (Yes, I have gotten those comments before) Anyway, moving on.

This week is going to be a big week – it’s finally time for Feast Portland! That means a lot of decadent food is in my future. I’m glad we have a bunch of this delightful chili – which is vegan if you don’t put yogurt on top – for some healthy lunches to get us through the week.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup small white onion, diced
3/4 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
1 spicy pepper, such as a jalapeño or similar, minced
3-4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 quart vegetable broth
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cup dry lentils (your choice what type)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (the bigger size – I think it’s 24oz ish?)
1 can great northern/white beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 heaping tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 cup water
2 heaping tsp. coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and cook the white onion, bell pepper and spicy pepper until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Add in the broth and the lemon juice, and bring to a simmer. Add the lentils and the can of tomatoes. Bring back to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are al dente.

Stir in the cumin, coriander, chili powder and paprika. Stir in the last cup of water, as the chile will likely have thickened during cook time. Finally, salt and adjust to taste.

Serve with yogurt, cheddar cheese, crackers, or whatever you like.