Description
Hearty and flavorful, this chili sin carne recipe is packed with beans and butternut squash, making it a perfect dish to warm you up and fill you up. With only a few minutes of prep, it's easy enough for weeknight cooking but tasty enough to serve guests.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/3 cup coffee
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans of beans, such as kidney and black beans
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Toppings of choice, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion and cilantro
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Roughly chop the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the chopped vegetables, sprinkle with the salt, and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prep the squash. Peel, slice, and cut the squash into roughly 1/2-inch cubes.
- Add the flavorings. Stir in the chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin to coat the vegetables. Pour in the coffee and cook while stirring for about a minute or until reduced.
- Add remaining ingredients. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, molasses, and crushed tomatoes. Then, stir in the beans and squash.
- Cook. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the squash is tender and the chili has thickened. Stir every so often as it cooks.
- Serve. Stir in the vinegar, then taste and adjust any of the seasonings to your liking. Serve hot, topped with cheese, sour cream, green onion, cilantro, or other preferred toppings.
Notes
Try to cut the vegetables, including the squash, into similarly sized pieces.
Don't forget to taste and adjust the seasonings before serving. There are several flavors at work here and you may want to add a little more of any one to your liking. If you do add anything, be sure to stir it in well and give the chili a couple of more minutes to cook for the flavor to be incorporated.
Chili often tastes even better the day after cooking, when the flavors have had time to meld. So consider preparing this the day before you plan to serve it.
Serve the chili with chips, popcorn, tortillas, or bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Stew/Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
