Butternut Squash Chili makes a delicious meatless chili. This hearty, slow-cooker, vegetarian chili is made with butternut squash, white beans, beer and just the right amount of heat. This Vegan Chili is spicy, tangy, creamy, filling and warming to the soul!
Butternut Squash Chili
Tender chunks of butternut squash and white beans are immersed in a rich, thick, and spicy tomato broth, making this meatless chili both hearty and full of bold flavors.
Butternut squash adds a bit of sweetness that pairs perfectly to the contrast of the heat from the chipotle peppers and chili seasoning. This chili is full of so much more flavor and depth than one would think to have in a vegetarian chili. It is really quite tasty.
In face, when I told my husband we were having butternut squash chili for dinner, he told me he was going to order pizza. He is more of a Classic Chili made with beans and ground beef kind of guy. I get that, but I am happy to report, he did NOT order pizza and he actually enjoyed this recipe and told me I could make it ANYTIME I wanted–that is called winning!
Notes on Key Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: You will need 1 medium butternut squash, or about 3 cups. Pro-Tip: Check out cost of cubed butternut squash in the produce section. Sometimes it is CHEAPER than a full squash–and the work is done for you!
- Beans: Any beans work in this chili, but I find the white beans are mild enough to not overtake the butternut squash’s flavors.
- Diced Tomatoes: I love to use fire-roasted tomatoes for an extra kick of flavor, but regular diced tomatoes work. And if you have picky eaters that despise the texture of diced tomatoes, use tomato sauce in it’s place.
- Beer: Beer adds amazing dimension to chili, but by all means use vegetable or chicken stock in place of beer. And if you need this recipe be gluten free, be sure to use stock!
How to Make Butternut Squash Chili
This is about the easiest chili recipe ever. There is no browning of meat, no sauteing of peppers and onions. Everything is dumped into the crock-pot and allowed to simmer. How is that for EASY?!!
- Place all ingredients in large slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, or fresh pico.
More Chili Recipes
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled and diced into 1 inch chunks
- 1 onion finely minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups white beans or 2 (16 ounce) cans rinsed and drained
- 16 ounces can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 chipotle pepper from a can
- 8 ounces bottle dark amber beer or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon Chili Seasoning Mix
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in slow cooker and set to low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours (or until squash is tender.)
- Serve with sour cream, cheese, chips, limes, avocados, etc
Made this for dinner last night and it was amazing. Delicious! I will definitely be making it again.
This looks SO good, I am pinning for later to make, it’s so nice that it’s a slow cooker recipe, great for a weekday meal! Looks very healthy too, thank you for sharing this!
You bet Sara! I hope you enjoy it–it is a perfect healthy dish for a cold busy day 🙂
I’m still earning how to cook with pumpkin, it is a relatively new vegetable to me but this sounds wonderful!
Oh Brain, I love pumpkin and butternut squash. I hope you learn to love it yourself 🙂
I just love a hearty butternut squash soup in the fall….and this one has such a nice spin on it with the white beans…pinning for later!!
Thanks Melanie–I hope you enjoy it so much! So hearty and filling.
We are big fans of squash in our home and while I really like a traditional chili, this is such a great alternative! It looks and sounds amazing!
Thanks Chris! I love traditional chili as well, but this is a nice change of pace.
This is beautiful! It just looks like the perfect bowl of comfort on a cold evening!
Thanks Annie, It is pretty comforting!
Haha – my daughter does the same thing sometimes – if she doesn’t like the look of it, I have a hard time convincing her to eat it! Though sometimes, the smell does the convincing more than I do and she is digging into it – I bet this would be one of those recipes – it sounds so incredibly flavorful!
It is usually the kids, isn’t it? My dad and husband are my worst offenders 🙂
Hahaha, it can be difficult to cook for Dads sometimes 😉
My brother and sister (while in their chef’s apprenticeship) had a tough time with trying new dishes. This looks awesome though, I’d love to try your butternut squash chili!
Howie, I hope you try it and love it! There is always someone (be it Dad or Brother or Child) that is a difficult eater in the family, isn’t there?!
This looks like typical comfort food. I could certainly do with a bowl with this terrible cold that I have right now.
Great and healthy comfort food!
Thansk Angela. I hope you love it!
Cannot wait to try this one! Perfect comfort food. Sounds yummy!
I love butternut squash, and this chili looks perfect for Fall comfort food!
Thanks Stacey, It is perfect comfort for me!
It is time to take full advantage of those 3 butternut squashes I bought this morning! We usually cook the squash without adding any legumes, but going to give it a try. Thank you for sharing.
Perect timing for this recipe. I would highly suggest adding the beans, it helps to complete the squash’ protein profile and fill you up better!
We have so much winter squash from our garden this year, this is a great addition to the recipes I am collecting to use it all up! 🙂
Well if you need to send some my way, I will accept all donations! Love any kind of squash and I have a black thumb!
Butternut Squash Chili made with beer sounds like a grat idea. I bet the flavors all came together beautifully.
The beer really adds a unique depth to the chili.
Yum! I haven’t tried butternut in chili but like the sound of your recipe…beer and all!
Thanks David! It is really quite surpirising how well squash works in chili!