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Pumpkin Lentil Chili Recipe

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This pumpkin lentil chili recipe is hearty fall comfort food loaded with plant protein and fresh vegetables! Great as a meal prep or game day dinner. 

Serve with a slice of thick crusty bread or cornbread, and top with your favorite toppings: cilantro, crackers, sour cream or coconut cream, and melty cheese.

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Fall gives me an excuse to add pumpkin to any meal!  And this pumpkin lentil chili recipe is a delicious fall meal that everyone at the table will love – it’s a favorite on our homestead for sure.  I love eating pumpkin, it really is one of my favorite foods.

Canned pumpkin works great in this chili (just make sure you get plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix!) or you can make your own puree with your leftover small sugar pie pumpkins from Halloween.

This Pumpkin Lentil Chili Recipe Is:

  • Rich
  • Hearty
  • Thick
  • Loaded with Flavor
  • Perfect for Fall
  • Earthy
  • High Protein
  • Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
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High Protein Pumpkin Soup for the Win!

I love pumpkin because of how versatile it is – it works so well in high protein dishes with beans and lentils.  You can use it in savory dishes like this hearty lentil chili.  And it’s also great to add to baked goods and desserts. 

I made an amazing vegan pumpkin spice bread recipe a few weeks ago! I enjoy pumpkin all year round, so I make sure to stock up on canned pumpkin in the fall when it is on sale.

Make Pumpkin Chili Vegan for a Plant-Based Version

This vegan pumpkin chili recipe is a simple way to get extra veggies in your diet. I’m all about making recipes plant-based when I can. Vegan cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right. By building meals around vegan pantry staples and swapping in a few plant-based ingredients you can make better meals for you and your family.

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What In This Vegan Lentil and Pumpkin Chili Recipe?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

  • Pumpkin: you can use canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree (just make sure not to use sweetened pumpkin pie mix).
  • Red Lentils: for extra protein! You can use any variety of lentil, but I used red lentils to enhance the rich orange color of the chili
  • Bell Peppers
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Kidney Beans: Like tomatoes, I only use no salt added beans in my pantry – using unsalted canned beans lets you control the amount of salt in you dish for better flavor!
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Spices: chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes for heat
  • Corn
  • Toppings: fresh chopped cilantro, red onion, coconut cream, sourdough croutons, or melty cheese
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How Do I Make This Vegan Pumpkin Chili Recipe?

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over low heat.  Add the onions and sauté on low for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, bell pepper, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, and salt to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon for a minute until the spices have coated the vegetables.
  2. To the pot, add the lentils, vegetable stock, and diced tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until carrots have cooked through.
  3. Add the pumpkin puree kidney beans, and corn, and stir well to combine.  Add hot sauce if you like a spicier chili.  Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat until chili is hot and simmering.
  4. Serve in bowls, and add any toppings you like!   Fiesta forever 🙂
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One of the BEST Pantry Staple Dinner Recipes

This vegan pumpkin chili recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal!  It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards.  You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand!  Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and easy meals using a few staples you can rotate. 

I have a whole section of this site dedicated to my favorite pantry staple meals.  By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!

More Fall Dinner Recipes You’ll Love:

Instant Pot Baked Ziti

Sheet Pan Chickpea & Root Vegetable Dinner

Lentil Pasta Fagioli Soup

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage and Collard Greens

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Share This Vegan Pumpkin Chili Recipe

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pumpkin lentil chili

Pumpkin Lentil Chili

Kelly Jensen
This pumpkin lentil chili is a cozy fall comfort food loaded with plant protein and fresh vegetables! Great as a meal prep or game day dinner.  Serve with a slice of thick crusty bread or cornbread, and top with your favorite toppings: cilantro, crackers, sour cream or coconut cream, and melty cheese.
5 from 4 votes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 196 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion sliced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 bell pepper diced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 3 cups Vegetable Stock
  • 1 Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 14 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2 13.5 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup sweet corn
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes optional, skip if you like less spicy chili
  • Toppings: fresh chopped cilantro red onion, coconut cream, sourdough croutons, or melty cheese.

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over low heat.  Add the onions and saute on low for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, bell pepper, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, and salt to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon for a minute until the spices have coated the vegetables.
  • To the pot, add the lentils, vegetable stock, and diced tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until carrots have cooked through.
  • Add the pumpkin puree kidney beans, and corn, and stir well to combine.  Add hot sauce if you like a spicier chili.  Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat until chili is hot and simmering.
  • Serve in bowls, and add any toppings you like!   Fiesta forever 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 7gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 517mgPotassium: 401mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3862IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

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Posted in American, Dairy Free, Dinners, Fall Recipes, Favorites, Gluten Free, Lunches, Meal Prep, Pantry Recipes, Soups

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