Vegan Lentil Chili with Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, and Green Onion

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped in small pieces
• 2 tsp. finely minced garlic
• 2 T Chili Powder
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
• 1/8 tsp. dried Chipotle chile pepper
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1/4 cup red lentils
• 3 14 oz. cans vegetable broth + 1 can water
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 can black olives, drained and sliced
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• Lime slices for serving, optional

Directions

1. Choose a large Dutch oven-style pot, which gives the vegetables plenty of room to cook. Warm the olive oil over medium heat, then cook the chopped onion until it begins to take on color. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and Chipotle or Cayenne powder, and continue cooking for about 90 seconds, just until the spices smell toasty and fragrant.
2. Stir in the brown lentils, red lentils, vegetable broth, water, and tomato sauce, then bring the pot to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook until the red lentils have mostly broken down and the brown lentils are nicely softened. The exact time depends on how fresh your lentils are, but this can take slightly more than an hour, with extra water added a couple of times as needed. Tomatoes can slow down the softening of lentils, so if time is tight, wait to add the tomato sauce until the lentils are beginning to turn tender.
3. As the chili simmers, slice the green onions, drain the olives and slice them, and drain the roasted red peppers before chopping them into small pieces.
4. Once the lentils are tender, stir in the green onion, olives, and roasted red pepper. Simmer the chili for another 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve hot, with lime slices on the side for squeezing into each bowl if you’d like.