Swapped out ground beef for lentils in my chili 2 months ago

I used to spend $8 a week on ground beef for chili night, then I tried brown lentils at $1.50 a bag and honestly can't tell the difference with the right seasoning... has anyone else tried swapping meat for something cheaper that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_rodriguez10d agoMost Upvoted

i mean i gotta push back on this a little bit. i tried the same swap a few months ago and it just didn't hit the same for me. the texture is totally different, lentils get mushy while beef stays kinda chunky and chewy. and no amount of cumin and chili powder can fix that, idk. maybe it's just me but i feel like the flavor base is still missing that savory fatty depth you only get from actual meat. i ended up going back to half beef half lentils just to stretch it out cheaper without losing the whole point of chili.

ivanb4110d ago

Did you use any kind of fat or oil to brown the lentils before adding liquid? I found that toasting mine in a dry pan first then adding a splash of olive oil halfway through gives them a firmer texture that holds up better than just boiling them straight into the chili.