I swapped lentils for ground beef in my chili and it was a total flop

Everyone online says it's a cheap and easy swap, so I tried it last week with a full bag of brown lentils. The texture turned out mushy and the flavor was just flat, even after adding extra spices. I learned that not all meat substitutes work the same way in every recipe. Has anyone made this swap work, or should I just stick to using a smaller amount of real meat?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer7072mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst lol. I tried the same swap in spaghetti sauce once and it was just a sad, beige mush. Lentils really soak up all the liquid and lose their shape if you cook them too long. Maybe try using green lentils next time? They hold up a bit better. Or just half lentils, half meat to stretch it without ruining the texture.

viola_clark2mo ago

My grandma in Ohio has used brown lentils in her sauce for forty years and it's always perfect. The trick is to undercook them separately before adding them in, so they finish in the sauce without turning to mush. I actually prefer that softer, thicker texture it gives the whole dish, it makes it more hearty. A beige sauce just means you need to add more tomatoes and herbs, not that the lentils failed.

angela_knight24d ago

Why would anyone want their sauce to be thicker and mushier when you could just use actual meat and get a better texture and flavor? The lentils don't add anything you couldn't get from a can of tomato paste and some extra herbs.