This vegan Butternut Squash and Quinoa Chili is a nourishing and satisfying meal made with veggies, quinoa, beans, and chili spices!
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When Hungryroot started offering butternut squash cubes, I got a container to try and ended up using them in my Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley recipe. Since then, I’ve been adding them to every single delivery! Butternut squash has quickly become one of my favorite winter squashes. It’s perfect for roasting, delicious in soups, and makes a fantastic vegan chili ingredient!
I’m getting so excited for soup and chili season! You can tell by the containers starting to stack up in my freezer. I’ve been making veggie and bean soups, homemade broth, and now, hearty chilis to keep me satisfied and warm on cold days. This chili recipe is no exception! It’s full of veggies, beans, butternut squash cubes, and quinoa. It’s nutritional and filling!
Butternut Squash and Quinoa Chili
I’ve been trying to make better food choices and eat more veggie loaded meals. This chili was exactly the type of meal I was looking for! It has that familiar chili flavor without feeling so heavy. Instead, I was left satisfied and pleasantly full after eating this colorful vegan chili.
To start this chili, you want to pour some olive oil down into your pot and heat it over medium. Add your onion and garlic, cooking for about 2-3 minutes so it gets nice and fragrant. The onion should be soft and translucent and the garlic should smell amazing at this point.
Toss in the butternut squash, lower the heat, and cook covered for about 10 minutes. Stir everything occasionally to keep it from burning.
After the squash starts to soften, add in the pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Then, pour in the broth.
It’s not chili without chili seasoning, so add chili powder and ground cumin to the broth. Ah! Now it’s starting to smell like chili!
Now, toss in those beautiful beans! Chili with or without beans is totally a preference thing, but I like that they add a plant-based protein to this recipe.
Add in the can of diced tomatoes. I like to use diced tomatoes with green chiles. It adds just the right amount of spice so I don’t have to add any jalapeño to the chili. I also added in a little tomato puree for more flavor and rich, red color.
The last thing I added was the quinoa. I used cooked quinoa cups from my Hungryroot box. If you’re using dry quinoa, just keep in mind that 1 cup of dry quinoa = 3 cups cooked quinoa. Stir that all up and let it simmer.
The longer the chili cooks, the less soupy it’ll get. But like chili with or without beans, the consistency of your chili is totally a preference thing. I wanted mine somewhere in-between. If if gets too thick for you, you can always add a splash of veggie broth to it to thin it out.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 16 oz. butternut squash cubes
- 1-2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz. red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1/2 cup tomato puree
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Topping suggestions: jalapeño slices, pumpkin seeds, lime wedges, hot sauce, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the cubed butternut squash. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Then, pour in the vegetable broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Stir in the seasonings, beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree.
- Add the quinoa, season with salt and pepper, and cook for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings!
A Satisfying Vegan Chili!
I had a big bowl of this chili topped with jalapeño slices, roasted pumpkin seeds, and a Hungryroot mini cornbread muffin on the side. It was a perfect fall lunch! And now, I have two big containers in the freezer to warm up when I’m craving a comforting, veggie loaded meal!
Did you make this Butternut Squash and Quinoa Chili recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!
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