My $10 chili trick backfired hard last Sunday night

I tried stretching ground beef with lentils to feed four people for under eight bucks, but nobody told me red lentils turn into mush when you simmer them too long. By the time I served it, my chili looked like lumpy orange soup and my roommate asked if I was making baby food. How do you guys bulk up cheap chili without ruining the texture?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia_gonzalez1mo ago

Yeah, "lumpy orange soup" is a rough way to lose a ten dollar bet.

ray3561mo ago

Ha, yeah I used to think lentils were the ultimate cheap meat stretcher. Tried it once with green ones that held up okay, but red lentils? Complete disaster. Turned into paste way faster than I expected and the whole pot got that weird baby food consistency. Now I'm team black beans all the way. They keep their shape even if you simmer them for hours.

the_jennifer1mo ago

Oh man, I feel you on the red lentils. "Turned into paste" is exactly what happened to me the first time I tried to make lentil soup with them. I was so confused because my mom always swore by green lentils, and now I get why. Red ones disintegrate almost instantly if you look at them wrong. I had to dump the whole pot because it genuinely looked like something you'd feed a baby, not a grown adult. Black beans are solid, they just do their job without drama. I'm with you, team black beans all the way.