Chili isn't a soup, or is it? It's all good all the same

Is chili a soup?

No, you say! There is no broth in chili. It doesn't (or shouldn't) run off a plate. Plus, you don't put soup on a hot dog, for Pete's sake.

Yes, you say! You eat it with a spoon and sometimes with crackers. It's listed on restaurant menus as a "soup of the day." And, hey, it can be brothy, depending on the recipe.

Is it a soup? Is it a stew? Or is it its very own thing? Quite the existential question, I'd say.

In any case, this soup columnist is writing about chili today, specifically one that is vegan and made with red lentils and butternut squash.

This Red Lentil Chili has all the positive qualities of a good chili. It's hearty with a rich, complex chile flavor that is nicely warming, thanks to a hint of cinnamon. There's a bit of a kick to it with the addition of ancho chile powder, which is slightly spicier than regular chile powder.

The lentils give it a "meaty" texture, and, of course, there are kidney beans - an addition some of you chili purists might argue about. There's butternut squash in there, too, which adds just the right amount of sweetness.

All in all, the combination is an excellent addition to your chili/soup/stew repertoire. Garnish it as you would any other chili - I went with slivers of jalapeño peppers, a few radishes, and a handful of Oyster crackers.

In other words, treat it like chili or treat it like soup.

Now, for the next existential crisis ... is a hamburger a sandwich?

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald's vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com/.

Red Lentil Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juices

1 cup dried red lentils

Two 14.5-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups diced cooked butternut squash (can use frozen)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, both bell peppers, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5 or so minutes.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, ancho chile powder, cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens in color and the garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, lentils, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the pot and stir to combine.

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the temperature and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Fold in the kidney beans, butternut squash and agave syrup and cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from Food Network