This Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans is a warming and filling dish, perfect for a cosy weeknight dinner.
Jump to:
This chili recipe is a favourite in my house as soon as the weather is cooler. It's easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd.
We love a good chili in my house. Whether it's my classic Vegetarian Chili or my Easy Quorn Chili, it always goes down a treat. Nothing is better than a couple of big bowls of chili to heat you up on a cold day!
🛒 What You'll Need
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Butternut Squash - I used half a large butternut squash to make this chili. I also peeled the squash.
- Black Beans - You will need two cans of cooked black beans, I always rinse them in cold water before adding them to any dish. You can use dried black beans if you prefer but you will need to cook them first and this will add some time to the final cooking time.
- Other Vegetables - you will also need a large brown onion, 2 cans of finely chopped tomatoes or diced tomatoes and a green and red bell pepper.
- Spices - I use a mix of mild chili powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon and dried red chili flakes.
- Herbs - You will need a mix of dried and fresh herbs, for the fresh herbs you will need fresh coriander (cilantro) and for the dried herbs you will need dried coriander (cilantro) and dried oregano.
- Chipotle Chili Paste - You will find this in all large supermarkets in the world cuisine section. Chipotle paste is made from a purèe of smoked and dried chillies. It also includes onion, garlic, tomato purèe, vinegar, spices and dried herbs. This adds a smoky heat to the chili.
- Other Ingredients Needed - olive oil, garlic, tomato purèe, vegetable stock (vegetable broth), salt and pepper.
👩🍳 How To Make Butternut Squash Chili
1. Add a tablespoon of oil to a large saucepan or pot. Add the onion and chopped peppers and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the onions are soft.
2. Next, add the grated garlic cloves, the dried oregano and the spices. Stir in the chipotle paste and tomato purèe then add the chopped butternut squash. Stir well with a wooden spoon so the squash is covered in the spice mixture.
3. Now pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Then add the black beans to the sauce, stir well then simmer for another 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the squash is tender when you put a sharp knife through it. Leave to cool slightly before serving in bowls.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
We love this chilli served with rice, a good helping of grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, lime wedges and some chopped avocado on the side. This chili is also great served with baked potatoes, potato wedges or a side of tortilla chips. However you serve it I hope you enjoy it!
🔄 Variations/Substitutions
- Swap the butternut squash for sweet potatoes - if you're not a fan of squash then sweet potatoes are a good substitution. You could also use pumpkin for this chili if you like. You may have to adjust the timings slightly if you do swap these in.
- Swap black beans for other beans - you can easily swap black beans for pinto beans if that's what you have to hand.
- Add more beans - if you like you could swap one of the cans of black beans for a can of red kidney beans, the chilli will taste the same but the kidney beans will add more texture.
💭 FAQs
It depends, If you are roasting the butternut squash then you don't need to peel it. Because the squash is in a chili I always peel it.
Yes, you can. Leave the chili to cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the chili in the fridge overnight then reheat on the hob
Yes, it is. To keep it vegan add vegan cheese and vegan sour cream when you serve it.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- This chili tastes even better the next day so I always keep some aside for lunch.
- If you prefer an even milder chili then reduce the amount of chili flakes and chili powder. If you like more heat then I would a little more chili flakes.
- Want to save time peeling and chopping the butternut squash? Use pre-chopped butternut squash.
- Serving leftovers for lunch? This chilli is really good with some buttered crusty bread, perfect for a quick lunch!
🍽 More Winter Warmers
- Hearty Vegetarian Stew - A very popular recipe, this stew is so tasty, warming and filling.
- Veggie Enchilada Casserole - This spin on enchiladas is guaranteed to keep the family happy at meal times!
- Gnocchi Bolognese Bake - This is proper comfort food, soft fluffy gnocchi in a rich lentil ragu with plenty of cheese baked to perfection.
- Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup - If you have leftover butternut squash, this is a great way to use it up.
🍲 Tasty Soups To Try Next
Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large brown onion finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped, pith and seeds removed
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped, pith and seeds removed
- 500 g /1.5 lbs of butternut squash peeled and cut into bitesize chunks
- 4 cloves of garlic very finely grated or put through a garlic press
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tbsp mild chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon chipotle paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato purèe
- 2 400g /14oz cans of finely chopped tomatoes
- 2 400g /14oz cans of black beans drain and rinse the beans before adding to the chili.
- 350 ml / 1½ cups of vegetable stock I made my stock using 350 ml of boiling water and 1 vegetable stock cube.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- Fresh coriander leaves
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan or pot. Add the chopped onion, the chopped bell peppers and a small pinch of salt. Cook for around 20 minutes or until the onions have softened.
- Once the onions and peppers are softened add the garlic, spices and herbs. Stir well and cook for a minute until you can smell the spices releasing their aromas. Next, add the chipotle paste and tomato purèe. Then add the chopped butternut squash. Stir well so that the butternut squash is covered in the spices.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes and the stock season with salt and better. Stir well and bring to a boil before reducing the heat, simmer for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- After 15 minutes add the black beans to the chilli and simmer again for 20 - 30 minutes, until the chili thickens.
- Leave to cool slightly before serving in bowls with grated cheese, sour cream and rice.
Notes
- Nutritional Information - The nutritional information listed is for one serving and does not include rice, cheese or sour cream. All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
- Spice levels - if you would prefer a spicier or hotter chili then I would add more chili flakes or chilli powder.
Leave a Reply