Hello all!
Fall is definitely in the air here in the Florida panhandle! With Hurricane Irma moving through the state, we thankfully only got some wind and barely any rain where we live. The wind is making it feel nice and cool, so chili was a must!
I’ve always made traditional chili… you know, the kind with ground beef and all that jazz. However, I’ve really started to incorporate more plant based meals into our week and I am loving it! I wanted something that would add some volume and butternut squash seemed like a great idea with fall coming our way.
This is such a simple dish to make and didn’t include standing over a hot stove! Any recipe that only takes 15 minutes to prep and can be thrown in the slowcooker is a good one in my book. The most time consuming part is peeling and chopping up the butternut squash, so you could definitely use pre-cut and frozen if you needed to cut corners. However, I’ll always recommend fresh over frozen.
Another reason this took so much less time for me, is that I already had mirepoix prepped in the freezer. Mirepoix is simply diced onions, carrots, and celery – 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery. It’s a great flavor base for so many recipes and a valuable tool that has found it’s way into my kitchen! I highly recommend prepping several cups of mirepoix and keeping it in your freezer so that you can use it any time.
With my busy schedule, I love to use my slowcooker at least once a week. It is so nice to come home to a meal that is already finished and to have so much less clean up after dinner! I’ve linked the one I have below and would highly recommend it. I’ve had it for almost four years and it still has so much life left! Plus, you can’t beat that price.
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Without further ado, let’s get into the recipe! It really is as simple as just chopping and throwing all of the ingredients into the slow cooker. If you decide to make it, don’t for get to tag #simplynourishedgirl on instagram!
Xoxo, Jessie
Vegan Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 2 cans black beans (drained)
- 2 cans red kidney beans (drained)
- 2 cups mirepoix
- 1 cup water
- 1 six oz can tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes (I always use Muir Glen)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Peel, seed and cube entire butternut squash.
Add all ingredients, except beans and spices into the slow cooker.
Add spices and stir til everything is combined and coated.
Cook on low for 5 hours - add beans 20 minutes before serving.
