Vegetarian Lentil Chili

I've been feeding my family a lot of vegetarian meals lately. It's definitely a challenge, since they don't enjoy a wide variety of vegetables. They do seem to enjoy most dishes with lentils, so I tried this vegetarian chili - and it was a hit! They ate it with shredded cheese on it, and scooped it up with tortilla chips. I added Sriracha hot sauce and extra chili powder  to mine. I think it would be good with Ro-tel or salsa instead of the tomatoes, and if I had lots of time, I'd have used fresh veggies and garlic. It was nice to use the convenient canned and frozen stuff on a working weeknight.

Vegetarian Lentil Chili

6 servings, about 1.5 c each - about 325 cal each

4 15-oz cans diced tomatoes

2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 12-oz pkg frozen chopped green peppers

1 12-oz pkg frozen chopped onions

2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
1/4 c chili powder
2 T garlic powder
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 6-oz can tomato paste
In an 8-qt Dutch oven combine undrained tomatoes, rinsed and drained beans, 3 cups of water, green peppers, onions, dry lentils, chili powder, and garlic powder. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, and 1/8 tsp black pepper; heat through.