This chili is so good, it’s even cat-approved!
Yes, Cali is a bad cat and begs at the table any time she gets the slightest whiff of cheese, milk, tuna, salmon, chicken… I blame dad for letting her drink out of his cereal bowls. Teaching bad habits! She’s so cute though, how can you really say no to that face?
Since fall is now in full swing, I find myself turning to warm and cozy comfort food. I saw a slightly different version of this recipe on a blog I follow and was instantly intrigued by all the different twists it took on a classic chili. Sweet potatoes? Lentils? Cinnamon? It sounded super yummy.
There was one problem, of course. The original recipe was vegetarian, and that just wouldn’t fly. For some reason when I think of lentils, I always think of kielbasa. I’m not sure why? I think maybe my Dad used to cook them together a lot? Or maybe I just made that up. But to me, they are a good match, so I instantly knew that kielbasa would be my addition to the chili, in an attempt to make it Nick-approved.
Sweet Potato and Lentil Chili with Kielbasa
(adapted from Daily Garnish)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups green lentils
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 package kielbasa, cut in half and sliced into half moons
- salt, to taste
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add carrots and sweet potatoes, and continue to sauté and stir until partially cooked, about 15 minutes.
Add jalapeno and cook 2 more minutes.
Add tomatoes (with liquid), lentils, broth and spices.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 35 minutes. Add kielbasa and continue simmering about 15-20 minutes, until chili has thickened and lentils are tender.
Season with salt.
Serve with cheesy corn bread!
This chili was awesome! I loved it! I used about 1/3 of the cinnamon from the original recipe, and I was glad… the cinnamon gave an awesome flavor to the chili, but that much more may have been overkill. The salty kielbasa was an awesome addition to the sweet chili.
This recipe made a ton, too! I was eating it for lunch for a few days. Nick enjoyed the chili the first night I made it, but the fiber was a little too much for his sensitive stomach… haha! Too bad for him, because lentils are awesome! I happily got all the leftovers. Definitely a winner.
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