This Vegan Butternut Squash Chili is hearty and nourishing and has a bit of spice to keep you warm on cold winter nights. It will quickly become a family favorite and is perfect for game day and get-togethers!
This comforting Vegan Butternut Squash Chili recipe is loaded with flavor and is spiced with flavorful Arbol chiles. It's a delicious, hearty plant-based meal that's perfect for the whole family on chilly fall and winter evenings. It's a meal in itself, and it pairs perfectly with cornbread.
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Make this vegetarian chili recipe over the weekend and meal prep to enjoy healthy meals throughout the week.
I love a good vegan chili recipe, so I had to try one with butternut squash. I added black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans since they are my go-to ingredient when making chili or just using up what's in my pantry. Plus, they're delicious and add a protein boost!
You might also be interested in trying my Vegan Pumpkin Chili, Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Stew, Vegan Sweet Potato and Bean Stew, and my Pumpkin Veggie Stew.
Take a look at my Vegan Meatloaf Recipe with lentils and walnuts!
Ingredients
Here are a few notes on the ingredients:
- Coconut oil - I use virgin coconut oil.
- Jalapeno pepper minced with seeds if you like it spicy, I recommend using gloves
- Vegan no beef base dissolved in water - this no beef base is handy to keep in the fridge.
- Canned organic butternut squash, if you have 15 to 16 oz of roasted butternut squash, you can mash it or puree it with a small amount of water until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Onion - I used a yellow onion.
- Bell peppers - red bell pepper and green bell pepper - be sure to seed them.
- Garlic cloves - as many as you like, I used three.
- Seasoning - I love the smoky flavors of smoked paprika, ground cumin, and chili powder. I also like to add onion powder, cinnamon, freshly ground black pepper, and sea salt to bring out more flavor.
- Dried Arbol chiles, for heat and flavor. I find these online and at the grocery store.
- Sweet potato - it is ok to keep the skin on for fiber and nutrients; wash and give it a good scrub first.
- Canned tomatoes: fire-roasted whole tomatoes with juice and diced tomatoes with juice
- Butternut squash - essential for this butternut squash chili recipe!
- Beans - kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans. Using canned beans makes this recipe quick to prepare!
- Tomato paste
- Garnish - green onions, chopped, avocado, parsley - take your pick!
How to make Vegan Butternut Squash Chili
- If you are making the stock from bouillon, heat water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the bouillon and stir. When the bouillon has dissolved, transfer the broth to a glass container and set it aside for later. Rinse the large soup pot.
- Heat the large stockpot on medium heat for 3 minutes. Heat oil, swirling it along the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped onion and red and green bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, and one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Sauté onion and vegetables for approximately 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, reducing to medium-low heat if necessary to avoid burning.
- Add the spices: cumin, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and dried Arbol chiles. Stir for about 30 to 60 seconds continuously to release the flavors.
- Stir in the sweet potato, and add the canned whole tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juices, broth, butternut squash, kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, tomato paste, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Cook on stovetop for several minutes on medium until bubbling and occasionally stir. Reduce heat slightly to medium-low, leave the lid partially on and let simmer for 30 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve and enjoy!
How to serve
I love to serve this Vegan Butternut Squash Chili with a fresh loaf of bread, tortilla chips, or my Vegan Southwest Skillet Cornbread.
Top this delicious chili with vegan sour cream, sliced green onions and chopped avocado or parsley.
This easy recipe tastes even better the next day.
Substitutions
- Coconut oil - use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Jalapeno pepper - try serrano pepper or roasted green chile
- Vegan no beef base dissolved in water - you can use vegetable broth.
- Butternut squash - try another variety of squash or more sweet potatoes.
- Onion - I used a yellow onion, feel free to try red onion or white onion.
- Dried Arbol chiles, feel free to skip them or try chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Sweet potato - use more butternut squash, or substitute with yellow potatoes.
- Butternut squash - try another sweet squash or sweet potato.
- Beans - use any beans that you like, it's nice to have a variety!
- Parsley - garnish with chopped fresh cilantro instead.
Variations
Seasoning - try adding chipotle powder and garlic powder. For a touch of sweetness, if needed, add a small amount of brown sugar to taste.
Top tips
- Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Some caramelization is desired for flavor; however, you don't want burning or char on the bottom of the pot. If you notice caramelization or browning in the pan, add a small amount of water or broth, and stir.
- To save time, I purchased canned butternut squash for this chili. If you prefer to cook it yourself, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash or you can buy a whole squash.
- If you have cooked beans in the freezer, feel free to use those instead of canned beans. I generally prefer to cook beans myself; however, it's handy to keep some in the pantry for last-minute use when the mood strikes for a hearty chili.
Storage
This chili makes delicious leftovers! Refrigerate the chili within two hours of cooking. Let it cool on the counter first. Properly stored, the chili will last for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can this chili be frozen?
To further extend this chili's shelf life, freeze it in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags after it has cooled, up to 4 to 6 months.
How long does the chili last after being frozen and thawed? Cooked chili that has been thawed in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before cooking. Soup that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be eaten immediately.
You will need to add additional broth or water when reheating the chili to thin it out since leftover chili will be quite thick.
Related recipes
If you make this Vegan Butternut Squash Chili, let me know what you think by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchen.
Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Chili
Equipment
- chef's knife
- wooden spoon
- large stockpot
- can opener
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegan no beef base
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper minced with seeds if you like it spicy
- 3 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt divided
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 dried Arbol chiles chopped
- 1 large sweet potato chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 28-oz can fire-roasted whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 15-oz can organic butternut squash
- 1 15-oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 6 tablespoons organic tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sliced green onions optional
- 1 chopped avocado optional
- 1 handful chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- If you are making the stock from bouillon, heat water in a large stockpot. Add the bouillon and stir. When the bouillon has dissolved, transfer the broth to a glass container and set it aside for later. Rinse the stockpot.
- Heat large stockpot on medium heat for 3 minutes. Put in the coconut oil, swirling it along the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped onion, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Saute for approximately 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cumin, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and dried Arbol chiles. Stir for about 30 to 60 seconds continuously to release the flavors.
- Stir in the sweet potato, add the canned whole tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juices, broth, butternut squash, kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, tomato paste, and black pepper.
- Cook on stovetop for several minutes on medium until bubbling and occasionally stir. Reduce heat slightly to medium-low, leave the lid partially on and let simmer 30 minutes; stir occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Serve and enjoy! Top with green onion, avocado chunks, or parsley.
Notes
- If you have 15 to 16 oz of roasted butternut squash, you can mash it or puree it with a small amount of water until it reaches a pureed consistency.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings and ingredients to your own taste and with what you have in your own pantry.
- If you notice caramelization or browning in the pan, add a small amount of water or broth, and stir. Some browning is good, however, you don't want burning or char on the bottom of the pot.
- Add one to three dried Arbol chiles to the stew as it is simmering. When the stew is ready, you can take out the chiles, or you can let them cool briefly, chop them, and add them back into the stew for extra flavor and spice.
- At the time of serving, stir in juiced lime, top with sliced green onions, avocado, and/or cilantro if desired.
- This chili is delicious with my Vegan Southwest Skillet Cornbread.
Nutrition
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Brian
It's delicious, and great on a cold day.
Emily
Thank you so much, Brian! This chili is perfect for chilly weather!
Daniela
Made a big pot of this for easy dinner and lunches this week. Love how flavorful it is
Emily
Daniela, thanks for your review. I'm happy to hear you love this recipe!
Chris
This recipe is perfection. It is creamy, hearty and little bit spicy! I loved it! This could be my new favorite fall recipe! Thank you!
Emily
Hi Chris, thank you so much for your review and feedback! I'm glad to hear that this recipe could be one of your fall favorites!
Anaiah
This vegan butternut squash chili was packed with flavor! It's such a delicious, hearty, and comforting bowl. This will be perfect to warm up with as the weather gets cooler.. can't believe it's already going to start snowing next month for me!!
Emily
Hi Anaiah, thanks for the review and I'm glad you loved this recipe! It's one of our favorites. I love that you mentioned how comforting it is as the weather gets cooler--there's nothing better than a warm bowl of chili on a chilly day. I am ready for cooler weather, summers are long and hot over here in Tucson!
Marinela
This vegan butternut squash chili dish is so warming and comforting. Its super-rich flavor makes it the perfect midweek lunch or dinner. Thanks for sharing!
Emily
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Marinela! I'm glad that this dish was warming and comforting, it's a favorite!
Kayla
This butternut squash chili was so delicious! I loved all the flavors!
Emily
Thank you, Kayla, for reviewing our Butternut Squash Chili! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it and found the flavors satisfying. We hope to see you again soon!
Joshua
My family really enjoyed this butternut squash chili! Thank you for providing freezer instructions. They are really helpful! We will be making a big batch to freeze so we can easily enjoy it all fall and winter.
Emily
Thank you so much for your review, Joshua. I'm glad to hear that the instructions were helpful and appreciated! I hope you enjoy your butternut squash chili!
Freya
This was so delicious and full of flavour!
Emily
Thank you so much for your review, Freya! We're really glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
Choclette
Despite being the last day of summer here, it's really cold and your chilli is just what we need to warm us up and satisfy. It sounds absolutely delicious and I love anything with squash and beans.
Emily
Thank you for your review, Choclette. I hope you enjoy it!