The temperatures are dropping here in Toronto, which means it’s definitely vegan chili season. What’s even better than vegan chili? Butternut squash vegan chili. I love making this vegan chili on a Sunday night to have throughout the week- it tastes even better the next day! If you need an idea for a make-ahead lunch that’s packable for work, I highly recommend my Apple Dill Chickpea Mash.
This Butternut Squash Vegan Chili hits all the delicious flavor notes of regular chili while being packed with veggies, plant-based protein, and fiber. It’s delicious on its own, but you could also pair it with my Vegan Caesar Salad, Warm Winter Salad or Chickpea Salad.
Butternut Squash Vegan Chili Main Ingredients:
Butternut Squash: Butternut squash is a fall ingredient staple! It’s packed with Vitamin C, A, potassium and fiber and has a slightly sweet flavor, which is perfect for this dish!
Beans: What’s chili without beans? Beans are an incredible source of plant-based protein, iron, zinc and fiber and soak up all the flavors in this vegan chili. I’ve used black beans and chickpeas in this chili, but feel free to use whatever beans you have on hand!
Carrots, Celery and Bell Peppers: These vegetables add tons of vitamins and minerals to this vegan chili as well as fiber and delicious flavor! You could even add zucchini, jalapeno, or any other vegetable you like!
Canned tomato: I’ve relied on canned tomatoes plus their juices for this vegan chili. I typically recommend using no salt added canned tomato so you can control the amount of salt in the dish, but feel free to adjust the salt if salt-added canned tomatoes are all that you have on hand. Canned tomatoes are a pantry staple for me, and I also use them in my Easy Butter Chickpeas and Cauliflower Chickpea Curry.
Spices: Spices are what make chili, chili! I’ve relied on chili powder (of course), cumin, oregano and chili flakes to make this recipe insanely flavorful. I’ve also added a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to add richness to this chili. You don’t have to add cocoa powder, but I highly recommend it!
How to make this vegan chili:
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent.
- Add carrots and celery, salt, and pepper and continue to sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients, bring the vegan chili to a low simmer, and cook for 30-45 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
- Serve with a sprinkle of vegan cheese or a squeeze of lime and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to use whatever type of beans that you like! I’ve used black beans and chickpeas since that’s what I had on hand, but kidney beans, cannellini beans, or even lentils would also be great.
- Adjust the spices to your and your family’s preferences! I would say this is mildly spicy, but add more red pepper flakes or hot sauce to kick the intensity up a notch.
- If you don’t have butternut squash, sweet potato is also delicious in this chili, or you can omit the butternut squash completely.
- If you don’t feel like eating leftover chili, this recipe is great served in tacos or as sloppy joes. It also freezes well!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Make sure you leave me a rating and review if you try it out, and tag me in your photos on Instagram or Pinterest!
Butternut Squash Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 4 large celery stalks diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 small butternut squash peeled and diced
- 540 mL black beans drained and rinsed
- 540 mL chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1596 mL diced tomatoes plus their juices.
- 150 mL tomato paste
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder or to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano or to taste
- 2 tsp cumin or to taste
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp chili flakes or to taste
Instructions
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium until the onion is translucent.
- Add carrot and celery to the pot and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the pot, then increase heat to high bring to a low boil. Reduce to low-medium heat to bring chili to a simmer.
- Simmer with the lid over low heat for 30-45 minutes, or until butternut squash is fork-tender and flavors have developed. Serve and enjoy!
Looking for more fall-inspired recipes? Check these out!
Pumpkin Spice Blender Pancakes
Looking for more plant-based recipes? Get my favorite soup recipes exclusively in my e-cookbook, Everyday Vegan Soup!
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Tatiana says
Hello, for the beans, is 540 ml the same as one can? All of the canned black beans show ounces or grams, not mL. I am not sure how many cans I need to buy for this recipe. Thanks!
Lauren McNeill says
Beans come in different sized cans based on brand on different countries- It’s about 2 cups of beans!