Recipe by Chef Cindy
As the fall weather begins to set in, so do my cravings for soup or stew! Nothing beats winding down with a hearty, healthy, and warming bowl of Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Chili with Cornbread for dinner. It's a great end-of-the-week meal to create with fresh vegetables, beans, herbs, and condiments left from cooking all week. Butternut squash chili is one of my favorite chili recipes because you get the blend of sweet and spicy flavors meshed together in every spoonful. It makes a great vegan chili if you top it with non-dairy cheese and sour cream.
Making vegan chili is super easy - just cut out the meat! Combine a bunch of your favorite seasonal vegetables in a pot, along with tomato sauce and chili seasonings, and you have chili. To keep it vegan, finish it off with plant-based chili toppings.
Making Sustainable Choices Matters!
Reducing or omitting the amount of meat you eat is an easy way to make a sustainable choice that matters! When you learn how to replace ingredients you typically use in recipes with plant-based ingredients, it becomes second nature. You will soon enjoy the plant-based alternative even more!
Not ready to cut meat out of your diet altogether, read Gradual Tips Towards A Plant-Based Diet!
If you want more detailed instructions on how to make this recipe, click on the link below:
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 1 butternut squash peeled, seeded & cubed (approximately 6 cups)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 celery stick diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 container pinto beans or black beans, kidney beans
- 2 cups tomato puree strained tomatoes - start with 2 cups and add more if desired
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cilantro seasoning
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 jalapeño chopped
- 1 lime
Chili Toppings:
- vegan cheese
- 2 scallions
- vegan sour cream
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
Cornbread Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup canola oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°.
- Prepare butternut squash by peeling & cutting into cubes.
- Mix in a bowl with 2 tablespoon olive oil, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until tender but firm.
- While roasting, prep the onions, peppers, celery, scallions, garlic, and cilantro. Drain beans.
- Heat a Dutch Oven or large pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in green and red peppers, celery, and garlic and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Season salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add beans, tomato puree, and crushed tomatoes. Stir in - chili powder, dried cilantro, and 1 teaspoon fresh jalapeño. Gently stir in Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and let flavors blend while cooking for 15 minutes. Squeeze in lime juice. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Make cornbread - see link below for directions.
- If additional heat is desired, add more jalapeño. Serve in bowls topped with cheese, scallions, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and a side of cornbread.
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