Slow cooker chilli’s are a staple meal in our house. I have made several different chillies in the past couple of years but I have to admit this is one of my favourites. It’s a simple dish to cook and it’s one that is packed full of goodness. Eating a chili is a great way to ensure that everyone in the family gets enough protein, fibre, iron and vitamin c, to name but a few health benefits.
Even better, slow cooking a chilli is one of the healthiest ways to cook it. The slower food is cooked the more nutrients are left in the meal. There is a recipe for the hob below but I really do recommend slow cookers. They are a brilliant tool to get a yummy meal on the table with minimum effort. Well worth a try.
Are you a lentils fan and what’s your favourite lentil dinner? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Serves 4 large portions or 5 smaller
Equipment needed
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Grater
- Slow cooker
- Stirring spoon or wooden spoon
- Teaspoon
- Tablespoon
Ingredients
- Onions x 2
- Courgette x 1 large
- Carrot x 1 large
- Butternut squash x 1/2 medium
- Garlic x 2 cloves
- Spinach x 1 200g bag
- Tomatoes x 1 400g tin
- Vegetable stock x 500 ml
- Red lentils x 160g
- Butter beans x 1 400g tin
- Mild chilli powder x 1 tsp
- Groung ginger x 1 tsp
- Ground coriander x 1 tsp
- Ground cumin x 1 tsp
- Ground sweet cinnamon or ground cinnamon x 1/2 tsp
- Ground oregano x 1 tsp
- Tomato puree x 1 tbsp
- Chickpea flour, brown rice flour or plain flour x 1 tbsp
- Salt and pepper
- Spinach x 2 large handfuls
- Olive oil (hob method only, for sauce pan
Method for slow cooker
- Peel and slice the onions and garlic and put into the slow cooker.
- Grate the courgette and the carrots and put these into the slow cooker.
- Next peel half the butternut squash and cut into 1 cm pieces and put this in as well.
- Add in the beans, lentils, stock and tinned tomatoes.
- Sprinkle in all the herbs and spices, plus the tomato puree and flour.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Finally stir all the ingredients together and put on a low heat for eight hours or a high heat for four hours.
- 30 minutes before serving, add in the spinach and stir until it has wilted into the chilli.
- Then serve with a hot bowl of brown rice or quinoa and enjoy.
Method for the hob
- Peel and slice the onions and the garlic and set aside.
- Grate the courgette and the carrots and again set aside.
- Next peel half the butternut squash and cut into 1 cm pieces and set aside.
- Put the saucepan on a medium to high heat and drizzle the base with olive oil.
- Spread the oil evenly over the base with the plastic brush.
- Once the pan is hot, add in the onions and garlic and fry until the onions are starting to soften.
- It should take around five minutes or so.
- Next add in the butternut squash, carrots and courgette and fry for a further 2 – 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the spices and flour and fry for a further minute.
- Then add in all the beans, red lentils, stock and tinned tomatoes.
- Bring to the boil and leave to simmer.
- Add in the tomato puree and stir.
- Finally season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave on a low heat to simmer for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Serve with a hot bowl of rice or quinoa and enjoy.
Slow Cooker Lentil Chilli was a big hit with my husband Howard. He really enjoyed this dish. My son Ted, as always, took a little more convincing. Ted is six and a bit of a fussy eater. In the end, I think he liked the beans the best. It’s a great dish to double up on and store in the freezer for another occasion. Plus it can be eaten as leftovers the next day too. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 