A hearty and healthy recipe for plant based butternut squash quinoa chili! I love making a big batch of this chili recipe for ‘Meatless Monday’ to restart from the weekend!
Hi hi! We are headed far into cozy season over here! We plan to pick out our Christmas tree next weekend and officially Christmafy our house out. Sundays are now saved for lazy days at home, watching football, catching up with family and just generally getting life in order for the week. I kind of love it.
The last few weeks have been crazy between traveling to TN for the Saveur blog awards and turning around quick for another Purely Elizabeth photo shoot in Colorao! It’s enough to make a girl a little loopy. I love traveling but I always find such a hard time getting back into the swing of things once I come back. Especially when it comes to getting a healthy meal together!
During the week, Jared and I really try and keep our home menus somewhat healthy! We both love a good one-pot-wonder that we can make on Monday’s and have leftovers for the week. Anytime that I can turn the start of the week into a ‘Meatless Monday’ I totally do! Meatless Monday and healthier batches of soup always help me restart from the weekend. This type of meal is honestly my best attempt at ‘meal prep’! I have never been a meal prepper but making a big pot of healthy soup or stew sometimes saves us during busy weeks. We both have a soft spot for chili!
I love that no matter what you put into chili it will always tastes like chili! You know what I mean?! Even if you sub out the meat for extra veggies or go with a green or red base flavor, it still tastes like cozy, delicious chili! All of the flavors and spices come together for a rich, yet healthy meal in this case! I’m swapping out traditional ground beef for hearty quinoa and adding in fresh vegetables like butternut squash (my fav!), bell peppers and more!
One of my favorite ways to complete an easy meal like this plant based butternut squash chili is to pair each bowl with an Alpha Foods Plant Based Handheld Beefy Cheddar Pot Pie! They are so savory and cozy and make the most perfect dipper for chili! We love these little pot pies because they act as ‘cornbread’ for our chili without having to make a whole batch! You can find the Handheld Pot Pies (in six different flavors!) by using this handy dandy store locator HERE!
Plant Based Butternut Squash + Quinoa Chili
ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 Red onion chopped
- 1 Red bell pepper chopped
- 2 Carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 Cups of cubed butternut squash
- 4 Cloves of garlic minced
- 2 -15 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 -15 oz can of red kidney beans
- 1 -15 oz can of black beans
- 1 Jalapeno minced
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons of chili powder
- 2 Teaspoons of ground cumin
- 1 Teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1 Teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 Teaspoon of dried oregano
- 2 Teaspoons of kosher salt
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 ½ Cups of water or vegetable broth
- 1 Cup of cooked quinoa
- ¼ Cup of chopped cilantro
instructions
- Toppings: Avocado slices, jalapeno slices, Alpha Handheld Pot Pies, onions, lime wedges & chopped cilantro
- In a large dutch oven heat olive oil on medium heat until oil will spread across the pan (1-2 mins). Add in onions, carrots and bell pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes or until transluscent. Add in butternut squash cubes and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Drain beans from their can liquids and add into onion and bell pepper mixture. Add in fire roasted tomatoes and all juices from can to pot. Stir mixture together well and add in minced jalapeno, minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, dried oregano, kosher salt, bay leaf and water.
- Stir consistently and heat chili on medium heat until simmering. Lower heat down to low and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. If you have time, 60 minutes on very low heat will develop the chilis flavor more. 5 minutes before serving stir in cooked quinoa and chopped cilantro. Serve with a variety of toppings.
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