Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans

Sorry for the impromptu hiatus, people. It’s been a whirlwind two weeks, featuring one very-much planned trip to Vegas to celebrate my birthday and one very unplanned trip to Maryland. In between, there has been zero time for cooking, and I’ve literally subsisted on delivery Thai, overpriced kale-and-quinoa salads for lunch, and food cooked by either my mother or my aunt.

With all that running around (but not actually running, boo) I’ve been craving some routine recently. I miss cooking dinner, I miss watching my shows, I miss waking up at the crack of dawn to work out, I miss eating planned out meals and–now you know it’s serious–I miss vegetables. While it’s definitely possible to eat healthy while traveling, I’ve been so off my game in the past few weeks that most of my vegetables came in fried potato form.

So I went and made the healthiest, heartiest thing I could think of: vegetarian chili. While my go-to version features three kinds of beans and carrots, this take tosses butternut squash and plenty of bell peppers with black beans and spices. The squash are a bit sweet, which balances nicely with the fieriness one expects with chili. Plus it’s full of vitamins, nutrients and fiber, which is perfect for getting me back on the clean eating track. (As long as you don’t go H.A.M. on the garnishes, ie. tortilla chips and avocado, while waiting for the chili to cook … not that I would ever do that.)

Given that it’s starting to get cold, I’m excited to warm up with a bowl of this butternut squash chili for dinner. And since I made a huge batch, I have enough chili for my lunches for the rest of the week, plus plenty to freeze for the next time life gets a little cray.

Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans
Adapted from Cookie + Kate

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 medium red onion, chopped

– 4 garlic cloves, minced

– 2 red bell peppers, chopped

– 1 20-ounce package diced butternut squash (or 1 small butternut squash (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and chopped)

– 1 tablespoon sea salt

– 1 tablespoon chili powder

– 2 teaspoons ground cumin

– 2 teaspoons chipotle powder

– 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

– 1 bay leaf

– 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, including the liquid

– 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

– 2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

For the garnish:

– 1 avocado, diced

– 1 ounce tortilla chips, crumbled

– 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1) In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Saute the onions, garlic, bell pepper, butternut squash, stirring frequently, until the onions start to turn translucent, 10-12 minutes.

2) Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, cinnamon and bay leaf, then stir in the black beans, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for spices and adjust as necessary.

3) Discard the bay leaf, then serve the chili in individual bowls. Top with the crumbled tortilla chips, diced avocado and chopped cilantro (I didn’t have this on hand). You could also garnish with shredded sharp cheddar and/or sour cream (or Greek yogurt!), though that, obvi, would make it not vegan.