Butternut Squash Chili
Don’t expect this dish to smell or taste much like chili made with meat — the sweetness of the squash plays differently with the chili powder than ground meat does — but man does it smell and taste delicious! If you like a smokier flavor, add some cumin to the mix. For a meatier texture, serve it over brown rice. It’s chili so, you know, adjust accordingly.
Make this in your dutch oven or slow cooker.
What you’re gonna need
- 2 pounds of squash, approx., peeled and chopped (sweet potatoes will also work, or a combination of the two)
- Olive oil for sautéing
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Chili powder to taste, about 1-2 tablespoons
- 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
- Hot peppers to taste, about three small, depending on the pepper and your tolerance for heat
- 1½ cups of water or vegetable stock
- One 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 14.5 ounce can of beans (I used cannellini, but you can use whatever you have)
What you’re gonna do
- Sauté onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes
- Add chili powder and cook for another 30 seconds
- Add squash and stir to coat with chili powder
- At this point you can transfer the mixture to a slow cooker; I chose to leave mine in my dutch oven
- Add tomatoes, stock and beans
- Season with salt and cook for 3-4 hours, or in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low
- Garnish with the green part of the green onions