Ingredients for about 10 people

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 8 small/med garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
• 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 chipotle pepper, minced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 0z.)
• 10 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2.25 cups black, brown, or green lentils (or combo), rinsed and picked over
• ⅔ cup pearled barley or pearled farro
• ⅔ cup bulgur wheat (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt (or to taste)
• Toppings
• a bit of chopped serranos, a bit of feta or dollop of thinned out salted yogurt, a drizzle of equal parts chopped fresh oregano and olive oil, chopped onion, fried egg

Preparation

1. In a large stockpot pot over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, and shallots.
2. When the onions soften up and get a bit translucent, add the garlic, ginger, chili powder and cumin. Stir well and cook for a minute of so, until everything gets quite fragrant.
3. Stir in the serrano pepper and chipotle pepper, tomatoes, and 8 cups of the broth. Now add the chickpeas, lentils, barley/farro, and bulgur - stirring between each addition. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer. Take a taste of the broth a few minutes into the simmer - you can make adjustments for salt here - if you're using water in place of broth, you can add a teaspoon of salt for starters and add more later if needed.
4. Simmer away for about 35- 45 minutes or until the lentils and grains are cooked through. You will likely need to add the rest of the water, a cup at a time, if the chili thickens up too much.
5. Before serving do your final adjustments - add more chipotle, salt, or whatever you think it needs.