WINTER AND SUMMER SQUASH CHILI

 

A warm bowl of chili is a wonderful thing. It's great during the cold winter weather, but it also works during the summer, or really, any other time of year. Vegetable chilis are a nice way to lighten these heavy dishes a little bit. This particular chili uses a variety of squashes in place of the traditional ground or cubed meat. I use butternut squash, a winter squash, and zucchini, a summer squash, as the main components of the chili. This particular chili is "kid friendly" as it is mild. It only uses smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, and a little black pepper to build the flavor behind all of the vegetables. If you wanted to kick it up a bit, you could easy add some chili powder and/or cayenne pepper to bring in the heat. Although I do love a good beef chili, this is a nice way to add a vegetarian meal into the menu for the week.

Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, chopped.
1 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
28 oz can peeled, whole tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
½ tbsp smoked paprika
½ tbsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp dried oregano 
½ tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Olive oil
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese

Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften a little and the onion turns translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. 

Add the canned tomatoes along with the juices. Use a potato masher to crush the whole tomatoes into small pieces. Stir the the vegetables together and then add the butternut squash and zucchini. Stir again to mix all the vegetables.

Add the 2 cups of vegetable broth and stir it into the vegetables. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to fully incorporate the spices into the chili. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the Dutch oven. And allow the chili to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables completely  soften. Cooking time may vary based on how large or small you chopped the butternut squash.

Once the vegetables have softened, remove the lid, and add the white beans, black beans, and lime juice. Turn the heat down to low, and allow the chili to simmer for 5 minutes more. 

The chili so now ready. Remove it from the heat, and serve it in bowls. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. I recommend serving with tortilla chips.