Creamy Chili Mac
Creamy Chili Mac serves: 6 servings (2 cups or 480 ml per serving)
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Chili Mac:
- 3/4 cup (144 g) dry green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups (720 ml) water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- One 14.5-oz (411-g) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- One 12-oz (340-g) package gluten-free elbow macaroni or other pasta
- Hot sauce, for serving (optional)
For the Cashew Cream:
- 1/2 cup (60 g) raw cashews, soaked*, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- 1 tsp lemon juice (about 1/4 fresh lemon)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Read through recipe and put all ingredients in your work area before starting your prep.
- In a medium pot, place lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to simmer for 28–30 minutes, or until lentils are soft, and liquid is either completely or almost fully absorbed. Strain lentils to remove any excess liquid and then set aside.
- While lentils are cooking, in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Add cooked lentils, tomatoes, chili powder, salt, cumin, paprika, vinegar and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- To make cashew cream: In a blender, place cashews, water, lemon juice and salt. Blend on high until smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
- Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Add cooked macaroni and cashew cream to lentil-chili mixture. Reduce heat to low and stir gently to combine. Let cook for 1–2 minutes, or until all ingredients are heated through. Enjoy immediately with hot sauce, if using.
Notes:
Nut-soak note: If you have a high-speed blender, you can skip soaking your cashews. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can either soak your cashews in water for 4 hours, or you can do a “quick soak” by covering them with water in a pot and bringing it to a boil. Once the water boils, remove them from the heat and let them sit for an hour.
Storage tip: Creamy Chili Mac will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5–7 days.
Simplify this recipe: Use 2–2 1/4 cups pre-cooked lentils instead of dry lentils.
Reheating tip: In a skillet over medium heat, heat Creamy Chili Mac with 1 Tbsp water, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3–4 minutes.
Make it nut-free: Substitute raw, shelled sunflower seeds for cashews.
Make-ahead tip: Lentils can be cooked 1 day in advance.
Nutrition Information Per Serving:
435 calories, 6.9 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1.3 g polyunsaturated fat, 3.7 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 409 mg sodium, 556 mg potassium, 80.2 g total carbohydrates, 8.9 g fiber, 3.6 g sugar, 13.6 g protein, 5% calcium, 20% iron
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