Root-Veggie Chocolate Chili

Ingredients:
- 2 pounds root vegetables (turnips, beets, rutabagas, etc), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp each cumin, ground coriander, and oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup lentils (I use red lentils because they don't need to soak)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp agave or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I use more than this)
- cliantro for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat a soup pot over medium high heat, and saute onion and bell pepper in oil until translucent. And garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for another minute. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon and salt. Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and the cocoa powder; cook for another minute will stirring to dissolve the cocoa.
2. Add lentils, the remaining vegetable broth, the diced tomatoes, and the root veggies. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 min, until the lentils are tender and root veggies are soft.
3. Mix in agave or syrup. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Adapted from recipe in Bust Magazine, p. 24, Feb/March 2011.