Autumn is here and you know what that means: food bloggers around the world are writing recipes fit for fall, and also loooooong preambles to said recipes espousing the various virtues of autumnal cooking. I'll spare you my own verbose musings about the joy I experience at the first sign of a crisp leaf, my giddiness as I make use of this meme in every semi-appropriate context, the deep sense of nostalgia I feel while sipping apple cider, my elation as I sprinkle pumpkin spice over my entire life...ack, the autumnal spirit has overtaken me!
Phew, okay, as I was saying, I'll get right down to it. Here, I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes from my newest project, In Harmony: Autumn -- Chili with Squash Two Ways. If you want more autumnally appropriate recipes to usher in the chillier temps in our near future, you can check out In Harmony: Autumn, my e-book geared toward fall focused dishes that are all meal prep-friendly.
Find my entire collection of meal prep friendly autumnal dishes here.
A little bit about this specific recipe: Chili has long been one of my favorite meal prep dishes—it’s flavorful enough that I rarely get bored of it, and it’s relatively easy to make in large quantities. Bonus points: it’s freezer-friendly. This version replaces canned tomatoes with pumpkin purée and I’ve doubled down on squash with the addition of cubed butternut squash. The result is a beautiful, orange-hued savory stew with warming spices perfect for cooler temperatures. It pairs super well with the Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Grated Pecorino Romano, also in In Harmony: Autumn, or my Herbed Maple Mustard Slaw.
So, without further ado, it's chili time.
Chili with Squash Two Ways
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion medium diced
- ½ tsp sea salt plus more
- 1 lb ground beef (sub Beyond Meat or another vegan meat option to make this vegan)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (half or omit if you don't like spice)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 14 oz. can white bean of choice drained and rinsed
- 1 14 oz. can unsweetened pumpkin purée
- 1 quart chicken stock (sub veg stock for a vegan option)
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled and cut into ½' cubes (about 4 cups of squash)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (plus more for seasoning)
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat on the stove. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and salt and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Add the beef or beef alternative to your pot, using the back of your spoon to break it up into small crumbled bits and cook until it’s browned. Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Stir in the beans, pumpkin purée, stock, and butternut squash and turn the heat on the stove up to high to bring the contents of the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is fork-tender and the liquid is reduced and thickened (about 30 minutes).
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season with additional salt and vinegar to taste. Serve topped with sour cream or plain yogurt and optional herbs of choice.