Lentil Chili
Updated Dec 26, 2025
This Lentil Chili is simple and quick to make in the Instant Pot and so delicious! It's high in protein, high in fiber and great for meal prep
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Make a Vegan Chili with Lentils
Using lentils in chili is such a smart way to bulk it up without using any meat, and that’s what this lentil chili is all about. It’s hearty, loaded with wholesome ingredients and requires minimal prep of just adding all the ingredients to an Instant Pot. It makes 8 servings with 18 grams of protein per serving and a whopping 21 grams of fiber per serving.
This vegan lentil chili is excerpted from The Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Weight Loss which includes over one hundred easy and healthy recipes by Sukaina Bharwani and all of which can be made in the instant pot. I tried this from her cookbook and loved it so much I had to share it it.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Lentil Chili Ingredients
- Red and green lentils: The red lentils will soften when cooked and the green lentils will still whole, so a combination is ideal here. Rinse them before adding to the Instant Pot.
- Onion, garlic, and seasoning: Use a medium onion, a few garlic cloves, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt
- Tomatoes: I use both canned tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes for a rich tomatoey flavor. You can use just one kind though
- Red kidney beans: Rinse and drain the canned beans before adding the to the Instant Pot. You can also use black beans or pinto beans.
- Maple syrup: A little sweetness in this chili balances out the flavors. You can also use honey or brown sugar.
How to Make Lentil Chili
Vegan Lentil Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cup green lentils rinsed
- ½ cup red lentils rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 10-ounce canned diced tomatoes with chili seasonings
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup optional
- Cilantro leaves for serving
- Avocados diced, for serving
Instructions
- Press Sauté button on the Instant Pot and add olive oil. Once oil is heated, add the chopped onion and stir for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine all ingredients together. Press Off/Cancel to turn off Sauté function.
- Place the lid on and move the valve to sealing. Press Beans/Chili and set the timer to 12 minutes. You’ll notice the Instant Pot will start to come to pressure first and then the timer will begin. It can take 8-10 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the cook time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining pressure. Carefully open and remove the lid.
- Serve with fresh cilantro and avocados and any other chili toppings, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Recipe Tips
- Be mindful of the type of lentils you use. Some lentils, like red lentils, absorb more liquid than others, like small green lentils. Adjust the tomato sauce in the recipe if you’re using more or less red lentils or other varieties that expand a lot.
- Switch some of the tomato sauce for vegetable broth. For a more subtle tomato flavor, you can use vegetable or chicken broth to replace some of the liquid in the recipe.
- Don’t forget the toppings. Fresh cilantro and diced avocado add some great freshness and flavor to each bite. Feel free to add other favorite toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, lime wedges and sliced jalapenos.
- Try it on top of a baked potato. Because of how thick and hearty the lentil chili is, it makes for a great topping for baked potatoes.
FAQs
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily make this lentil chili on the stovetop, it will just take a bit longer. Saute the garlic and onions in a pot with the oil, then add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil and then let it simmer for 50minutes to an hour until the lentils are cooked.
Comments
This was easy, hearty and tasty. Added toppings: sausage, corn off cob, red onion, sour cream, shredded Tillamook, fresh basil. Thank you!! Very versatile.
Love the toppings you added, Nicole!
I make lentils exclusively all the time. I am sautéing my onions as we speak. I am excited to have this along side, hummus, shepherds, pie and buttery sourdough bread tonight. Thank you for your pleasantly adorably enthusiastic videos.
This was too much to fit in my 3qt instant pot. I had to leave out the diced tomatoes and only added half the broth because it was already at the maximum. I probably should have halved the lentils but they were already in before I realized. It’s still good, just not saucy at all – the lentils absorbed everything.
I am sorry to hear that it didn’t fit in your instant pot. The recipe does make 8 servings which is better suited for a 6qt IP. You can always adjust the serving size on the recipe card to half for next time.
can you use brown lentils?
You sure can! Enjoy!
I do not have an instapot so I made mine on the stove. I used 2 cans of black beans and a can of Rotel which added some heat. I used chicken broth for the base and added about half of the tomato sauce the recipe called for. DELICIOUS!! Thanks for sharing!!!
That sounds perfect! I am glad you enjoyed. Thank you so much!
Very good and easy!! I came up with about 1.5 cups for 8 servings. Anyone else?
That’s perfect! Was it 1.5 cups per serving or for all 8 servings?
So i came up with per serving. It says 8 servings. Sound about Rt? Thank you for responding!
That sounds about right!
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