vegan lentil and chorizo crockpot chili.
Cooked low and slow in a slow cooker, lentils and soy chorizo effortlessly combine into a thick, tomato based chili loaded up with carrots, sweet potato, and onion.
Makes: 4-6 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 6-8 hours jump to recipe.
I do eat meatless from time to time, especially when my sisters are involved. I also realize this recipe barely counts as meatless, but I’ll take the win for what it is. The truth is, you can use regular chorizo or leave it out entirely. It’s totally customizable provided you kind-of follow the recipe, so don’t feel limited in including soyrizo if it’s not your jam.
I highly recommend, whether vegan or not, you try this powerhouse chili; besides it being super easy, it’s also crazy healthy. I won’t bore you with a million nutrition details, but it has sweet potato, carrot, soy (or pork), and lentils, all superfoods high in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. Right, throwing words at you. The sweet potato and carrot help your eye function and strengthen your immune system. The soy improves your heart health and can help out with your hormones. If you use pork, you’re getting a good dose of protein. And if you’re not? Those lentils provide a ton of it, plus a good amount of fiber, too.
Leaving the soyrizo out
Totally fine to modify this to be chorizo-free, but know that a lot of the flavor comes from the chorizo. Chorizo is made with spices like paprika and chili powder, hence the bright color and oily packaging. If you omit the chorizo, sprinkle in chili powder, paprika, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder to achieve a similar flavor profile. Towards the end, you may also need to add a few extra pinches of salt, as well. Start with a half tablespoon of each spice and go from there based on taste.
Where to find soyrizo
There are actually a couple options out there, and if your supermarket has a really good vegetarian or Mexican section, you might be able to score a vegan link of chorizo there. Of course, the one that seems to be the most popular is Trader Joe’s soyrizo, and at less than $3 a link it’s no wonder why. It’s well-spiced and perfect texture. If you don’t have any Trader Joe’s near you, you can also make your own soyrizo by sautéing soy crumbles and spices.
Making this without a slow cooker
Up until two weeks ago I didn’t own a slow cooker, so I totally understand not having one. Don’t get me wrong — I love my slow cooker, but the thing takes up a lot of space.
If you want to use stovetop, set aside about an hour and a half to make this chili. Peel and dice all the veggies, soak the lentils, then begin by sautéing the chorizo, onion, and garlic until softened and cooked through. Add the diced tomato and half the broth, then stir in the lentils, sweet potato, and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium low or low (whatever allows a very light simmer, not big bubbles) and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes To thicken further, simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
vegan lentil and chorizo chili ingredients
soyrizo: As I mentioned above, I used Trader Joe’s soy chorizo, but there are other brands out there that are also very good. If you are making this vegan, be sure the package says “vegan” and says soy in the ingredient list.
You can also swap for regular chorizo, of course. I always use pork, but beef chorizo would be delicious here. If you’re making an especially big batch, you can also use one link of chorizo and one pound of ground beef to stretch the proteins without going chorizo-crazy.
onion: I used yellow onions here, but you could swap for white or even red onion. I prefer the mellow taste of yellow onions!
garlic: Add as much as you want — I called for 5, which is plenty for me!
sweet potato: This is going to add a lot of nutritious density to the chili, so try not to skip this. Sweet potato works really well here because it’s not as starchy and crumbly as regular russets or golds and tastes great alongside the heavy spices. You can, of course, swap for diced russets if that’s all you have on hand.
carrot: You need something soft and squishy in the mix, and this is it. Adding them early won’t hurt them at all. Slice or dice the carrots and throw them in with everything else. You can also swap in bell peppers for a similar option.
lentils: I used red lentils, great for stews, soups, and chilis because of their soft texture. If cooking stovetop, the type of lentil you use will alter your cooking time quite a bit (20 minutes versus an hour, likely). In the slow cooker, it doesn’t matter quite as much. My red lentils were perfectly soft after 7 hours or so.
If you don’t have red lentils, the next best option is brown. Depending on your store, that’s also most likely the lentil you’ll easily find!
diced tomato: Use the big can and dump it all in! It’s one of two processed foods on this list, and makes prep a whole lot easier than using fresh tomatoes. If you really want to use up tomatoes, you can dice 5-6 romas and throw them in the slow cooker instead, juices included.
broth: Of course, if you’re making vegan, use vegetable broth or stock. If not, I recommend using beef broth for some more depth and flavor. You can definitely swap in water if needed, just be sure to season to taste later on.
vegan lentil and chorizo chili pairing options
You know the drill: crusty bread, cornbread, crackers. Oh, and toppings, of course! Chili is so fun to dress up and scoop onto hefty breads. Would you believe I served this to several guests with no toppings prepared? Yeah, don’t make that mistake. Here are some pairing and topping options to have ready for chili night:
Shredded cheese: cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack (for the non-vegans)
Sour cream or creme fraiche for a tangier option
Greek yogurt
Avocado (mashing it smooth can serve as a vegan sour cream alternative)
Limes
Cilantro
Jalapeno or Fresno chiles
Skillet cornbread
Grilled corn
Margaritas
El Diablo cocktails
