Easy and comforting vegetarian chili recipe made with roasted winter squash, kidney beans, and corn.
When the air in the morning and night gets cooler and crisper, there are very few options that are better than a big bowl of hearty chili. During the cool/cold season, you want something simple, easy, and produce a minimum amount of dishes. After all, who wants to stand around and do the pile of dishes right after eating a cozy and comforting meal?!!
And I have got just a recipe for ya!
Oh yeah, if you thought my obsession with winter squash has died down, you are mistaken, my dear! The more I read and study about nutrition, there isn't anything better than filling your belly with seasonal fruits and vegetables! They are literally there for you during specific time of the year so you can enjoy and nourish your body! They are cheap, nutritious, readily available, and delicious! Plus, I gotta use up all the winter squash that I roasted a while ago 😉
What's in my vegetarian roasted winter squash chili:
- The usual minus the meat: you know the usual ingredients to make classic chili - diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomato, tomato paste, kidney beans, chili powder, and ground cumin.
- Roasted winter squash: this is a great way to use up any type of leftover roasted winter squash. I used combinations of an acorn, butternut, and delicata squash. Do you want a recipe for roasted winter squash? Click here.
- Corn: I love the extra sweetness and texture the corn has to offer in chili. You can use either frozen or canned corn.
- Celery: You are more than welcome to use vegetable broth instead of plain water. But for me, when I sautéed onion and celery together, some magical smell and taste happen and really deepens the flavor. This flavor allows me to use plain water instead of using a veggie stock/broth. Just make sure to chop them up a little more since celery tends to keep its crunchy texture longer than an onion.
- Diced jalapeno: If the chili powder is spicy enough for you, feel free to skip these ingredients but nothing can be spicy enough in my household. I think extra heat from jalapeno goes very well with sweet winter squash and corn.
- Garnish: I love my chili with diced avocado and green onion. I had some leftover cashew sauce that I put on top instead of sour cream.
This chili may be missing ground beef or turkey but its bold flavor and wholesome nutrition-packed ingredients will make you forget you are not eating meat!
Happy eating, my friends!
Vegetarian Roasted Winter Squash Chili
Vegetarian Roasted Winter Squash Chili - easy and comforting vegetarian chili recipe made with roasted winter squash, kidney beans, and corn.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main course
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 small stalk of celery (or 1 large stalk of celery), chopped
- 1 tablespoon Grape Seed Oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon low sodium season salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can of dark kidney beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup corn
- 1 cup roasted winter squash
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in medium-size pot. Add onion and celery. Sautéed for 3-4 minutes until onion becomes translucent.
- Add minced garlic and jalapeno. Stir frequently and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, seasoned salt, sugar, and dried oregano to the mixture.
- Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, and water. Stir well until tomato paste dissolves into the mixture and everything is well incorporated.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Place a lid and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally so the beans wouldn't burn on the bottom.
- Add the corn and roasted winter squash to the chili. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Continue to simmer for additional 5 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- For roasted winter squash, please see my "How to roast winter squash" post. For this recipe, I used a mixture of roasted butternut squash, acorn squash, and delicata squash.
- Adding sugar is totally optional. The sweetness from the corn and roasted winter squash may be enough. But the brand of tomato paste and diced tomatoes that I use is pretty tart. The sugar is for cutting the acidity not necessarily for the sweetness.
- Garnish the chili with avocado, vegan cashew cream sauce (or sour cream and cheese), and/or green onion. Serve with rice or cornbread.
- You can certainly cook/simmer this chili for a longer period of time. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor is.
Keywords: vegetarian chili, vegetarian roasted winter squash chili, winter squash chili, vegetarian winter squash chili, chili
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