Butternut Squash Vegetable Chili (Vegan)

It's been raining for 5 days straight now... and it's cold! Perhaps a pot of chili may just help warm our bones and keep our spirits high. Warm, full of flavor chili will make you really enjoy the cool weather more because you wouldn't want to be devouring a bowl of warm goodness if it was 70 degrees. It is one of the ways to truly appreciate fall. I personally like to use seasonal vegetables in my chili, and with the abundance of squash in my kitchen, I thought, why not?Squash, yes, I have much to use, much to enjoy. If you want to try and use up some of that pre-cooked diced squash from the previous post, then this is a great way to use it. So another dish with the beloved fall ingredient. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Vegetable Chili:

1 large yellow onion, diced and chopped

3 diced garlic coves

2 TB of olive oil

2 -28 oz of diced or whole canned tomatoes blended in a blender or food processor until smooth or of a consistency that you would prefer. I use organic canned tomatoes.

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of sliced carrots

1 cup of diced green pepper

2 small red chili peppers

1 small diced zucchini or another veggie of choice

3 14oz cans of "chili" beans or one can of each black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans.

(you can use dry, cooked beans as well, about 1 cup of each variety above)

3 TB of chili powder

1 TB of cumin

1 ts. of ground ginger

1 ts. of ground nutmeg

1 ts of ground cinnamon

2 cups of pre-cooked butternut squash that has been bite-sized cubed for eating

Saute the onions and the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes in a large 5 qt. pot, and then toss if the blended tomatoes and broth along with the following vegetables. Add the spices and the beans and cook for about 30 minutes on a high heat. Add the diced squash here and cook for another 30 minutes until all the flavors and veggies have mixed well and it's smells reach all corners of your kitchen and your home. I love that smell of bubbling chili.

Serve warm or freeze half and save for healthy packed lunches for the week. It makes a large pot so make sure to find way to eat (or freeze) as much as you can.

Some of my favorite vegan toppings to chili instead of cheese, sour cream and crackers:

-diced avocado

-fresh chopped cilantro, with a squeeze of lime or lemon

-crunched organic tortilla chips

-spoonful of brown rice over top or underneath

-a large slice of some homemade gluten-free cornbread

Let me know of any other great chili ideas or toppings. I would love to hear of more.

Enjoy and have a warm and cozy weekend friends!