Sometimes, the only thing that will hit the spot is a big plate of chili cheese fries. Unfortunately, that same plate will also cause serious digestive problems, such as bloating, gas, and possible constipation or diarrhea. We didn’t mean to gross you out from the start, but that is just the reality of scarfing down a big plate of chili cheese nachos. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that with this healthier vegan rendition.

This recipe comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients, many of which are rich in fiber, healthy fats, and protein. To accelerate the prep and cook time of this recipe, we opted to use a can of cooked lentils, instead of dried lentils. If you want to soak and then boil the lentils, you can go that route, but expect to add a couple extra hours to the total recipe time. With the canned lentils (try your best to get unsalted or low-sodium), you can drain and rinse them prior to adding them to the pot with the seasonings. Cook for five minutes and your chili portion of the recipe is ready.

For the best chili cheese fries, you need crispy fries. You can bake the fries in the oven, or you can cook them in an air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the fries in batches. Once they are nice and crispy on the outside, the fries are ready. While the fries are baking, you can make the cheese sauce, which is from another recipe, but it was so good that we used it again! Let us know how you like this vegan creation!