Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans - Stove-top or Slow Cooker!

Recipe for Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans first. Additional suggestions and personal notes follow.

Butternut Squash Chili Health and Dietary Notes

As prepared, this Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans recipe is:

• vegetarian
• plant-based/vegan without some of the optional toppings.
• dairy-free without the optional toppings
• gluten-free

Both butternut squash and black beans are high in fiber.

What You Need to Make Butternut Squash Chili

The ingredient list looks long, but the directions are fast and easy! Plus, you already have most of these items in your refrigerator and pantry, so you may not even have to go to the grocery store!

• butternut squash
• carrots
• canned black beans
• canned crushed tomatoes
• onions
• garlic
• seasonings: chili powder, cumin, and dried oregano
• vegetable stock or water
• neutral cooking oil
• salt and black pepper

Toppings To Serve with Chili:

The Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans has all the

• shredded Jack cheese and/or crumbled cotija cheese
• crema or other thick cream
• chopped avocado
• diced red onions
• chopped scallions
• sliced jalapeño
• fresh cilantro leaves
• fresh lime wedges
• Fritos
• bottled hot sauce

How to Make Butternut Squash Chili

You can make this Butternut Squash Chili either in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.

Ingredients Notes and Resources

1. Cooking Oil: A lot of people use olive oil to cook, but I freak out about olive oil's low smoke point, so I prefer avocado oil for everyday cooking, and save olive oil for "raw" uses: drizzling and vinaigrettes. Avocado oil also has a much more neutral fragrance (at least to me). This is the avocado oil I currently have in my kitchen.
2. Make necessary substitutions for the shredded cheese and sour cream to make everything plant-based. I have tried Daiya vegan cheese shreds in other dishes with some success. Because I am not vegan, I don't mind using regular dairy cheese here because it's such a small amount. For a crumbled cheese, try a few spoonfulls of Kite Hill almond milk ricotta or cream cheese. You can use coconut milk, cashew cream, or other thickened nut- or soy-based milk in place of the crema. Fun Fact: Fritos are 100% plant-based/vegan
3. Fritos are 100% plant-based/vegan!
4. I like Tapatio for bottled hot sauce.
5. All fresh herbs and produce from either the Santa Monica Farmers' Market on Wednesday, or Whole Foods Market when I can't find what I need at the farmers' market.

Cooking Tips and Tricks

1. On the Cooking Time: If you like chili with components that are softer, or even falling apart into the chili, simmer the chili for 10-20 minutes longer after you add the zucchini and black beans. I prefer the individual ingredients to still have their own texture, so I cook my chili for the minimum time.
2. Heat Level: As cooked, this chili has virtually no "heat." I cook it this way because there are small children who blow through this kitchen from time to time so it's better to cook foods with no heat, and add heat at the dish. If you would like to add some heat, add half a chopped jalapeno with seeds to the chili with the carrots and butternut squash.

Butternut Squash is #15 on the 50 Things to Eat Drink Do Wear for Fall Bucket List. "Chili" is one the Epic Tailgate Party Foods #18 on the List.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili Recipe

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: black beans, butternut squash, plant-based, vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral cooking oil
• 1 yellow onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 6-8 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 large carrot diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups butternut squash diced (same size "dice" as carrots and onions)
• 1 can whole diced, crushed or puréed tomatoes
• 1 large zucchini diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cans black beans drained
• 1-2 cups vegetable stock or water
• 2 teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste

Toppings To Serve with Chili:

• shredded Jack cheese and/or crumbled cotija cheese
• crema or other thick cream
• chopped avocado
• diced red onions
• chopped scallions
• sliced jalapeño
• fresh cilantro leaves
• fresh lime wedges
• Fritos
• bottled hot sauce

Instructions

• Heat avocado oil or other neutral cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, cumin powder, chili powder, dried oregano and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add the diced carrots, butternut squash, and canned tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with a ladle or spoon if you're using whole tomatoes. Add barely enough stock or water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender. Exact cooking times will depend on the size of your vegetables.
• Add zucchini, black beans, salt, and pepper. Add more stock or water if necessary. Simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Taste the chili and adjust with additional salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve chili in bowls, with shredded Jack cheese and/or crumbled cotija cheese, crema or other thick cream, chopped avocado, diced red onions, chopped scallions, sliced jalapeño, fresh cilantro leaves, fresh lime wedges, Fritos, bottled hot sauce on the side. Everyone can dress their chili bowls as they like.
• Keep leftover chili in tightly sealed container in refrigerator for up to two days. Leftovers taste great on their own, but also work well as a "sauce" for pasta, on nachos, or as a vegetarian taco filling if you heat the chili in a pot and cook off some of the liquid.

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