If you are a purist who believes that chili should be made only with ground beef and tomatoes you may wish to stop reading. But, if you have an open mind and are willing to accept that chili might be defined as any hearty stew spiced with chiles in fresh or dried form, then follow me as I broaden your chili horizons.
- Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili
- Vegetarian Chili Verde
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili
I love the combination of southwestern spices with the sweet flesh of pumpkin, squash, and sweet potato. I chose to make this chili with butternut squash but it really could be made with any of the three.
Preparing a butternut squash can be daunting. I usually just split them in half, clean out the seeds, roast the whole thing in the oven, and then scoop out the flesh. For this recipe I wanted to start with raw squash so that required peeling. I started out by trimming each end of the squash with a heavy knife so I had flat surfaces to work with. Set the squash upright with the heavy end at the bottom. Start the knife at the top and use both hands rock the knife back and forth, working it down the length of the squash. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
Now you can lay the flat side down on your cutting board and use a vegetable peeler to remove the rind. Once that’s done it’s easy to cut into cubes. This was a huge squash so I had more than enough for chili. I roasted a portion in the oven (about 40 minutes at 375 degrees) for a lunch side, saved another portion that I steamed and mashed later in the week, and still had enough left to stick in the freezer for another time. What a bonanza from a $2.00 farmer’s market purchase!
Here is the recipe which I adapted from Cookie and Kate, one of my favorite sources:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3-4 banana or bell peppers, chopped (I used a combination of yellow banana peppers and bell peppers from my garden)
- 1 small butternut squash (1½ pounds or less), peeled and chopped into ½-inch cubes
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
- 1 small can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, including the liquid
- 2 cups vegetable broth (divided)
- Salt, to taste
In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, warm 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth until simmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and butternut squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are turning translucent.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic, chili powder, chopped chipotle peppers, cumin and cocoa powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the black beans, tomatoes, and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Taste and add salt if needed. I topped this with some chopped avocado which complemented the heat nicely!
Vegetarian Chili Verde
Remember the green salsa I made back in August? I still had a couple of jars left in the freezer and it gave me an idea. A few years ago I tried a chili recipe that used jarred red salsa in place of tomatoes and I wondered what would happen if I used my stash to create a Chili Verde? I found this recipe at The Washington Post website and adapted it to fit what I had on hand. Here is my version:
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2 large poblano chili peppers; seeded and diced
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8 ounces red potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
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1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups green salsa (this is where all the heat comes from so choose according to your taste.)
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1 tablespoon cornmeal
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2 tablespoons dried oregano
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2 teaspoons ground cumin
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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3 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
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2 cups frozen corn, thawed
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2 cans (14 or 15 ounces) no-salt-added white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Heat 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the poblanos, the potato, onion, green salsa, and garlic, stirring to combine. Cover and cook until the onion is tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the cornmeal, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper, then add the remaining broth, the corn and the beans, stirring to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook until the potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened, 10 to 20 minutes. Taste, and add salt as needed.
The best thing about these recipes is that they are both made with things that are easy to find and not too scary for the meat eaters in your household. No tofu or TVP just fresh, frozen, canned vegetables and spices from your pantry.
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