You'll love this Vegan Butternut Squash Chili Recipe. Minimal prep work and bursting with flavor, this healthy slow cooker chili is so delicious, you’ll forget it’s completely vegan.
I don't mean to brag (or maybe I do, just a little bit), but I know a thing or two about making the BEST Chili. Back when I was a carnivore, my very first Chili won a cook-off for me as well as for other people who made the recipe for their cook-offs.
Since then, my original Chili recipe served me as a basis to create a successful spin-offs like my White Chili and Mushroom Chili.
I love going an unconventional route and incorporate the ingredients that are quite unusual in chilies.
This Vegan Butternut Squash Chili is not an exception.
If you're looking for vegan recipes for butternut squash, you're in the right place.
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Here's Why This Recipe Works
- inspired by a cook-off winner. I always adapt my chilis to my original award-winning recipe and the result never disappoints;
- so easy. Just throw everything in the slow cooker and walk away;
- healthy. This gluten-free Butternut Squash Chili is loaded with good for you ingredients. One serving of butternut squash is packed with Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It's a good source of Fiber and potassium that is beneficial for the blood pressure; Not to mention the beans. They're an excellent source of plant-based protein.
📋 Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Ingredients Notes
- beans. I used Pinto beans and Chickpeas because that's what I had in my pantry. Black beans are a great alternative to Pinto beans. If you use them, make sure to rinse them really well;
- walnuts. I actually took this idea from a very popular Georgian soup called Kharcho where ground walnuts are one of the key ingredients. Walnuts act as a thickener in a chili making it richer and heartier. They add a wonderful texture to them. Plus, walnuts are an excellent source of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids;
- smoked paprika. Is a must in Chili recipes. It adds a hint of smoky flavor and makes this vegan Chili cozy and delicious.
🔪 Instructions
- Peel and cut the butternut squash. If you're using a whole squash, lay it flat on the cutting board and cut it in half. Then, cut each piece in half down the center vertically. Scrape out the seeds. Cut squash halves into slices and chop each slice into small cubes.
- Sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery. There are actually 2 options on how to proceed.
Option #1. If you have an extra 10 minutes, you can first sauté the veggies. This will boost the flavor of Butternut Squash Chili even more. To do that, heat olive oil in a large skillet and over a medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté stirring occasionally until the veggies have softened, about 7 minutes. After that, transfer the vegetables into a slow cooker.
Option #2. If you don't have time, it's perfectly fine and your Chili will still be delicious. Just pile fresh onion, bell pepper and celery along with the olive oil in a bowl of the crockpot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add cubed butternut squash, all beans, ground walnuts, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, water and salt. Note, that ground walnuts are not a mandatory ingredient, it's used for texture, extra protein and good fats.
- Cook. Give everything a good stir, cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook a vegan Butternut Squash Chili for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low.
- Puree the chili. First I recommend to taste the soup and see if needs more salt or pepper. Next, I like to puree the Chili, it gives it a thicker, nicer texture. You can do it in 2 ways. If you have an immersion blender (I use this blender), use it to puree the soup for about 30 seconds. You don't want to puree everything, just a little bit, so that the consistency was to your liking. Alternatively, you can measure out about 2 cups of cooked Chili, add it to a standing blender, puree it there until it's creamy and then add back into a slow cooker with the rest of the soup.
- Serve. Your vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili is ready. Divide it among serving bowls, top with any of your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Chef's Tip
When picking butternut squash, pick a firm one with a solid beige color. Avoid a wrinkly squash or with the soft spots. Also, make sure the squash doesn't have any cuts. Some scratches are fine though.
To save some time, you can purchase a pre-chopped butternut squash. You can buy it in most grocery stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your Chili is one the spicy side, simply add a good dollop of vegan sour cream or yogurt to cut through the spiciness.
Adding more toppings like the ones I suggested above, will help too.
Unpeeled butternut squash makes more sense in recipes where a whole squash is used. For soups and chilis and I recommend to peel the skin. The skin on butternut squash is chewy and tough. Since we chop the squash into small pieces, peeling it will ensure that they will cook evenly and there're won't be any tough chunks of skin on each piece.
Absolutely. Since the squash is already cooked, I recommend adding it in the final 30 minutes of cooking.
Any beans that you have in your pantry. To be specific, butternut squash pairs wonderfully with the garbanzo beans, black beans, pinto beans or kidney beans. Make sure to drain and rinse them well before combining with the rest of the ingredients.
Yes! Squash is responsible for adding sweetness to the soup. In addition, it has a firm flesh and bright orange color. All of these qualities have 2 other vegetables that can be easily be substituted for Butternut Squash. These are pumpkin and sweet potatoes.
Recipe Variations
Mushrooms. I love adding mushrooms to my Chilis. If ground, they have a "meaty" texture and taste absolutely amazing in thick soups like Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili. You can use Portobello mushrooms. Or, if you can get dried Porcini mushrooms, wash them soak in water for 30 minutes. Then, you can add Porcini to a soup and use the mushroom soaking water as your "broth" for Chili.
Spices. If you want to boost the flavor of this Squash Chili even more, I recommend adding the following spices:
- ½ tablespoon chili powder;
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano;
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Serving Suggestions
Chili Soup is usually served with a variety of toppings. Here are some of my favorite options:
- avocado - simply dice it and sprinkle on top of Chili;
- tortilla Chips (these are great)
- vegan Sour Cream;
- diced Tomatoes;
- green Olives;
- capers;
- fresh cilantro;
- chopped green onion
- red pepper flakes
- vegan Mozarella or Parmesan cheese
And of course, no Chili is complete without a homemade Cornbread.
In addition, if your butternut squash chili is thick enough, you can serve it on top of anything. Think polenta, steamed rice, pasta or even mashed potatoes.
Storing Instructions
This slow cooker butternut squash Chili should be stored in the refrigerator in the airtight container. That way it will keep for 3 to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat Chili in a microwave or in the saucepan.
This Butternut Squash And Bean Chili can easily be frozen too. To maintain the flavors, I recommend doing so within 2 hours of cooking. Reserve the portion of a soup that you're planning to freeze and let it cool.
Distribute Chili among freezer friendly zipper bags and lay them flat in the freezer in one layer.
For a fast thawing, place a bag of frozen chili in cold water. Make sure the bag doesn't have holes. Wait until Chili thawed completely. Then, add it to a small pot and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Similar Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
For a quick overview of the recipe, please check out my Butternut Squash Bean Chili Web-story.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Chili
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb butternut squash
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely minced
- 1 bell pepper any color, diced
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
- ½ can (3 oz) tomato paste
- ½ c walnuts coarsely ground in a food processor or very finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 c water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Peel and cut the butternut squash
- If you're using a whole squash, lay it flat on the cutting board and cut it in half. Then, cut each piece in half down the center vertically. Scrape out the seeds. Cut squash halves into slices and chop each slice into small cubes.
Sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery
- Option #1. If you have an extra 10 minutes, you can first sauté the veggies. This will boost the flavor of Butternut Squash Chili even more. To do that, heat olive oil in a large skillet and over a medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté stirring occasionally until the veggies have softened, about 7 minutes. After that, transfer the vegetables into a slow cooker.
- Option #2. If you don't have time, it's perfectly fine and your Chili will still be delicious. Just pile fresh onion, bell pepper and celery along with the olive oil in a bowl of the crockpot.
Add the rest of the ingredients
- Add cubed butternut squash, all beans, ground walnuts, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, water and salt. Note, that the ground walnuts are not a mandatory ingredient, it's used for texture, extra protein and good fats.
Cook
- Give everything a good stir, cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook Butternut Squash Chili for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low.
Puree the chili
- First I recommend to taste the soup and see if needs more salt or pepper. Next, I like to puree the Chili. You can do it in 2 ways. If you have an immersion blender (I use this blender), use it to puree the soup for about 30 seconds. You don't want to puree everything, just a little bit, so that the consistency was to your liking. Alternatively, you can measure out about 2 cups of cooked Chili, add it to a standing blender, puree it there until it's creamy and then add back into a slow cooker with the rest of the soup.
Serve
- Your vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili is ready. Divide it among serving bowls, top with any of your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Notes
Adding more toppings like the ones I suggested above, will help too. Refrigeration. Refrigerate the leftovers of vegan Chili in the airtight container for 3 to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat Chili in a microwave or in the saucepan. Freezing. This Butternut Squash And Bean Chili can easily be frozen too. To maintain the flavors, I recommend doing so within 2 hours of cooking. Reserve the portion of a soup that you're planning to freeze and let it cool. Distribute Chili among freezer friendly zipper bags and lay them flat in the freezer in one layer. Thawing. Place a bag of frozen chili in cold water. Make sure the bag doesn't have holes. Wait until Chili thawed completely. Then, add it to a small pot and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Carrie Robinson says
Ooooooo... I could go for a bowl of this right now! It is such a chilly day here. 🙂
Roxana says
Wow what a perfect timing for a great recipe. Love all the flavors and ingredients in it. Walnuts in a soup sounds good!
Tavo says
I love the idea of a vegan chili! The recipe looks great, looking forward to giving it a try!
Tara says
Such fantastic flavors in this vegan chili! I love the minimal prep and how you garnished the top. Yum!