Crockpot Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

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.

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  – ▢1 can (15 oz) chickpeas  – ▢1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes – ▢½ can (3 oz) tomato paste – ▢½ c walnuts  – ▢4 cloves garlic – ▢1 teaspoon fresh thyme – ▢1 teaspoon smoked paprika – ▢¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper – ▢3 c water – ▢½ teaspoon salt

1. 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.

2. Sauté the veggies. If you have an extra 10 minutes, you can first sauté the veggies. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Puree the chili. If you have an immersion blender (I use this blender), use it to puree the soup for about 30 seconds. 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.

6. Serve. Your vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili is ready. Divide it among serving bowls, top with any of your favorite toppings and enjoy.

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