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Butternut Squash Chili

My Favorite Vegan-Friendly Autumn Dish

By E.L. MartinPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Butternut Squash Chili

As I walked into the grocery store and added the various on sale produce to my cart, an elderly woman approached me. I don't intentionally avoid contact in the store, but I do often worry about how I may be inconvenient to someone who might say something rude to me. I do check ingredients carefully because of a soy intolerance, and I know that sometimes others' are not patient. I try to move out the way, but sometimes there is no where to move in crowded aisles. To my pleasant surprise, the woman instead asked me what it was that I did with the orange squash in my cart.

Whew! A positive interaction! I welcomed this break in my frantic shopping after some hectic encounters in traffic and a prior store. I told her simply, "I make chili out of it!" She had a surprised and peculiar look on her face before responding, "I found several squash just like that that grew outside of my compost bin, but I have no idea what to do with them. I was hoping they were zucchini. I like to take them and fry them up in a skillet with some breadcrumbs and cheese. You ever have them like that? Oh, they're so good! But, I have no idea what to do with squashes like these."

I smiled and told her my grandma had made them for me like that a few times when I was little, and agreed that zucchini were very good like that indeed. I told her she could also use butternut squash to make an au gratin with parmesan and breadcrumbs, but she would have to peel, take the seeds and strings out, and cut the squash. I told her I preferred to dice them into cubes.

She seemed to briefly note it, but curiosity rested on the tip of her tongue as she inquired, "So how do you make chili out of those?"

As I explained, I hope I conveyed enough information to help her with her butternut squash abundance.

The reason I learned to make chili out of butternut squash comes from the couple of vegan friends I have had in my life. I always try to entertain and include the entirety of my friend group while offering something for everyone's individual taste. I am also not averse to trying new or different foods, so my friends' veganism choice presented me with new recipe opportunities.

Now that it is autumn, I would love to share one of my hearty, seasonal vegan-friendly recipes: Butternut Squash Chili.

By Tom Paolini on Unsplash

Ingredients List:

Cooking Oil:

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Fresh Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 cups vegetable broth

Canned or Dried/Rehydrated Goods:

  • 1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (150z) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15oz) can tomatoes

Spices/Seasonings:

  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

  1. Peel and cut your butternut squash in half. (You can peel or cut in whichever order is easiest for you.)
By Viviana Rishe on Unsplash

2. Scoop out the butternut squash's seeds and strings with a large metal spoon (a Tablespoon works just fine).

By Charles Deluvio on Unsplash

3. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.

4. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and butternut squash.

5. Sauté ingredients for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the squash is soft.

6. Add spices and stir.

7. Add tomatoes, beans, and broth.

8. Bring to a boil.

9. Simmer for 30 minutes.

10. Allow chili to cool and serve.

While not necessary, you may also choose to incorporate some garnishes and add-ins to this chili. Feel free to add sliced avocado, roasted pumpkin or butternut squash seeds, tortilla strips, or whatever other options your heart desires.

Alternative Suggestions for Non-Vegans:

Non-vegan friendly mix-in options could include; cheeses, yogurt, or sour cream. You can also use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth if you are simply wanting to try a butternut squash recipe and don't want to make it vegan or vegetarian friendly.

Whatever additions you incorporate are entirely up to you. Regardless of however you adapt this recipe, I hope you find it as enjoyable as my friends, family, and I do. Happy autumn, everyone!

By Autumn Mott Rodeheaver on Unsplash

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About the Creator

E.L. Martin

Powered by Nature, Humanity, Humor, Food, Lifestyle, Fiction, and Culture; Oh, and a questionable amount of coffee.

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