Because I have chili on the brain this week with our Super Bowl chili cook-off going down on Sunday, I’ve got the second of two crazy yummy vegetarian chili recipes to share with you today. This one is a black bean butternut squash recipe that is really quite special. The addition of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce adds a bit of smokiness that really balances out the sweetness of the squash perfectly. Like my the four bean veggie chili that is a mainstay in our house, this chili stands on it’s own, no meat required. Skip the sour cream on top, and you’ve got a vegan dish that will please everyone at your table without a doubt. I’m pretty sure we are going to make both of these chili variations for the chili cook-off this weekend, because even though they’re both vegetarian, the flavor profiles are entirely different. Both of them are worthy of adding to your repertoire!
- (3) 15 oz cans black beans
- (1) 15 oz can garbanzo beans
- (1) small butternut squash, cubed
- 1-1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
- (3) 15 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
- (1) small red onion
- (1) small orange bell pepper
- 3 chipotle peppers (the canned kind in adobo sauce)
- 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ tablespoon chili powder
- Drain and rinse beans very well until all the packing liquid is completely rinsed.
- Peel, deseed and chop up butternut squash into roughly 1" cubes.
- Place beans and squash in the crock of a large slow cooker.
- Dice the bell pepper and onion, then add to the crock.
- Chop up the chipotle peppers finely then add them and all other ingredients to the crock.
- Mix well to combine and cook on high heat for two hours.
- Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer for another hour.

[Recipe + art direction by Cyd Converse | Photos by Alice G. Patterson.]