Aladdin’s Copycat Len-Chili Soup! The combination of earthy lentil soup and aromatic chili creates all those delicious, cozy feels you won’t want to miss.
Healthy, hearty, and flavorful, this oil-free, low-fat Aladdin’s Copycat Len-Chili Soup is sure to satisfy. It’s a beautiful combination of two soups, but without the fuss. Instant Pot and stovetop directions make it easy and versatile.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Aladdin’s Copycat Len-Chili Soup is hearty and satisfying. It’s Aladdin Eatery’s most popular soup. It’s literally two soups (Lentil Soup and Vegetarian Chili) that they combine into one soup by mixing the two.
We’ve combined them into one Whole Food Plant Based oil-free soup for your convenience, eliminating the hassle and time commitment of making two separate soups.
Tips for Success:
- Aladdin’s Len-Chili: Aladdin’s makes a beautiful Len-Chili combo soup. They actually make two separate soups: 1) Lentil Soup which contains lentils, swiss chard, celery, golden potatoes and garlic. 2) Vegetarian Chili which contains kidney beans, vegetables, tomatoes and spices. Their Len-Chili Soup is ½ of each of these soups combined. In the restaurant, they serve the soup divided in the serving bowl, and you mix them before eating. If getting take-out, they combine them for you. It’s light, yet very flavorful.
- Instant Pot: We used an 8-quart Instant Pot. If you use a 6-quart Instant Pot or green lentils, you may need to reduce the time in the Instant Pot accordingly. Green lentils cook faster than brown lentils. A 6-quart Instant Pot tends to cook lentils faster as well, make timing judgements based upon intuition and past experience.
- Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.
- Instant Pot Sauté: We tried using the sauté function with the Instant Pot and it really made no discernable difference. It did make a difference on the stove top.
- Instant Pot versus Stove Top: We actually preferred this recipe using the Stove Top method versus the Instant Pot; however, the IP end result will still be very yummy!
- Stove Top Simmer: Do not cook this soup at a rolling boil, but rather a low tempered boil. If you use a rolling boil, the potatoes will cook too quickly and the lentils will not be done at the same time. Use a tight-fitting lid to ensure that you do not evaporate too much liquid.
- Spiciness of Soup: This soup is unusual because Aladdin’s combines two soups together. The combination of the two soups makes the seasonings light, refreshing, yet flavorful. Feel free to adjust the chili powder accordingly. We enjoyed 2 teaspoons of chili powder. We did not add the cayenne pepper; however, if you prefer a spicier soup, then feel free to add it at the end.
- Swiss Chard: The Swiss Chard is added during the regular cooking and not at the end like a typical soup. It does break down but adds a delicious earthiness to the soup. If you decide to substitute with spinach or kale, you may wish to add them at the end, largely dependent upon how you prefer them cooked. We really enjoyed the Swiss Chard.
- *Yukon Gold Potatoes: We used unpeeled Yukon Gold Potatoes. We did not peel them and diced them on the large side simply because lentils typically which about 30 to 40 minutes. If you cut them too small, they will disintegrate. The same applies to the Instant Pot. You can use any potato you wish in this soup. If using a potato with a firm skin, peel them. Aladdin’s uses a Yukon Gold. You can always cut them smaller in your soup bowl. The key is to dice them on the larger side, so they do not fall apart while the lentils are cooking. If uncertain, error on the larger side, rather than smaller.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the petite diced tomatoes) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. The baking soda also helps speed up the cooking process when combining tomatoes with both lentils and potatoes, it naturally takes longer to cook. The baking soda helps here.
- Swiss Chard: Aladdin’s uses Swiss Chard; however, you can always use other greens as well such as spinach or kale with the understanding that the flavors will slightly change.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container. Reheating can be done on the stovetop, or in the microwave.
This dish can be frozen. If frozen, for best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
- Lentils: We used Palouse Brand Small Brown Lentils. They are delicious. They hold their shape well and have a slightly nutty taste to them. Feel free to use your favorite brown or green lentils. Adjust cooking timings accordingly based upon the lentil selected.
- Chili Powder: We used Penzeys Regular Chili Powder. It has great flavor, with a tiny kick that is not overwhelming. Feel free to use your favorite chili powder, just be sure to select a mild one and not one that has a lot of heat to it.
Kitchen Products Used:
- Instant Pot or Ceramic/Enamel Lined Dutch Oven or similarly large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid
- Kitchen Product we used: We used an 8-quart Duo Instant Pot (a 6-quart Duo Instant Pot or other Instant Pot can be used) Or a Round Dutch Oven or similar stock pot can be used for the stovetop.
We certainly hope you give this deliciousness a try.
If you try this comforting soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
PrintAladdin’s Copycat Len-Chili Soup
- Prep Time: 17 Minutes
- Cook Time: 13 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Healthy, hearty, and flavorful, this oil-free, low-fat Aladdin’s Copycat Len-Chili Soup is sure to satisfy.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 celery ribs, fine dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 4 cups water
- 1 – [ 14 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- 1 – 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, large dice *
- ½ cup uncooked brown lentils, picked through and rinsed *
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ to 2 cups chopped swiss chard *
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder *
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Other Optional Ingredients:
- Pinch cayenne pepper *
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the cayenne pepper) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Add all the Base Ingredients (add 2 of the 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice) and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 13 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid. If adding cayenne pepper, add at this time. Add the remaining Tablespoon of lemon juice stir well to combine. Taste test the flavors and add any additional seasonings, stir to combine, allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve and enjoy!
Stove Top Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the cayenne pepper) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel-lined pot or similar stock pot, add the diced onions and celery, sauté over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
- Add the minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute stirring constantly, then add all remaining the Base Ingredients (add 2 of the 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice), do not add the baking soda yet, and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a low simmering boil, add the baking soda, stir to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid, if adding cayenne pepper, add at this time, stir well to combine. Taste test the flavors and add any additional seasonings. Add the remaining Tablespoon of lemon juice, stir to combine, remove from the stove and allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*For recipe Tips for Success, Pantry Products, Kitchen Products Used, and Storage, please reference the blog post for details.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4 to 5 (makes 10 cups)
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So I had a thought before bed last night, ‘I want to make something with lentils and potatoes tomorrow.’ Not even kidding!!
So this was lunch today. LOL! Great flavour profile! Tomorrow it’s going to be even better!! Leftovers look out! Can’t wait.
Hi there Sandra 🙂
Awesome! We are on the same wavelength 😉 Got to love a comforting bowl of yummy potatoes and lentils. We are SO thrilled that you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! We appreciate you and your support! *hugs*
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Can we leave out the baking soda
Sorry to comment without trying first. We moved from Western Pennsylvania to Utah and really miss the hot sauce from Aladdin’s. If you could make a version of that we’d be so grateful.
Hi there Samantha 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. Yes, they have an amazing hot sauce. We’ll add it to our virtual white board of recipes to try. Thank you so much!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi,
I was wondering if I just wanted to make the lentil soup what ingredients would I leave out?
Thank you!
Cat
Hi there Cat 🙂
Thank you for your question. We have a number of lentil soups on our page. If you type LENTIL into the search engine at at the top, you will find them to peruse.
-Ameera and Robin
I made this Aladdin’s Copycat Len-Chili Soup for the first time last week and it was absolutely amazing. The flavors were perfect! Next time making a double batch!
Hi there Barbara
WOOO HOOO!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for leaving us an awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin
Can I use canned lentils?
Hi there Susan,
We apologize for the late response, this review got away from us. Yes, you can use canned lentils, you will just need to compensate by reducing the liquids. We don’t have any suggestions at this time as we have not kitchen tested it ourselves. Thank you.
-Ameera and Robin
Can I leave baking soda out?
Hi there Susan
We sincerely apologize for the late response, this review got away from us. Yes, you can leave out the baking soda. The baking soda helps reduce the acidity because we do not use oil. Just know that the soup may be acidic. Thank you.
-Ameera and Robin
Spot on and delicious. Even went to Penzey’s for the chili powder. Just like Alladin’s. I halved the water because I made a double batch and my pot was too small for it. Sticking with that. Thank you!
Hi there Kyle,
YAYYYY!!! We are so happy that you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin