Rinse the lentils thoroughly under cold water to remove any debris.

Dice the onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and mince the garlic and jalapeño pepper.

In a 6-quart slow cooker, add the diced onions, minced garlic, and jalapeño.

Pour in the vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine.

Add ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano to the mixture.

Toss in the rinsed lentils, diced bell peppers, and canned black beans with frozen corn.

Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 9-10 hours.

Once the cooking time is up, taste your chili and add salt and black pepper as needed.

Fold in the finely chopped fresh cilantro just before serving.

Serve and encourage guests to customize with optional toppings.