A quick and easy fall chili with large chunks of butternut squash, chorizo sausage, and beans.
Fall is here and one of my favourite ingredients is butternut squash which can be used in so many different recipes including this tasty butternut squash and chorizo chili. This is a pretty simple chili recipe with onions, bell pepper, garlic, chilies, cumin, paprika, fresh mexican style chorizo sausage, tomatoes, and beans along with large chunks of diced butternut squash! One of the best things about chilies is that you can change them up so easily! I like the pork chorizo sausage in this but ground turkey, beef, or chicken also work well! Smoky chipotle chilies in adobo are my go to form of chili peppers but you can use pretty much any kind of fresh chilies, or reconstituted dried chilies, or your favourite chili powder. This chili cooks up quickly and it’s great garnished with things like cilantro, green onions, avocado, sour cream, cheese, pepitas, limes, etc.!
Make it creamy!
Butternut Squash and Chorizo Chili
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4
A quick and easy fall chili with large chunks of butternut squash, chorizo sausage, and beans.
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound fresh chorizo (or ground turkey, or ground chicken)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped (or 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the sausage, onion, and pepper, and cook, breaking the sausage apart as it cooks.
- Add the garlic, chipotle chilies in adobo, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon, mix, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the broth, butternut squash, tomatoes, beans, and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Option: Omit the sausage for vegetarian.
Option: Cook the sausage, first, followed by the onions and peppers.
Option: Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, or sour cream, or 4 ounces cream cheese.
Option: Add 1 cup pumpkin puree.
Option: Add 1 cup apple sauce.
Option: Garnish with 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped.
Option: Garnish with 2 green onions, thinly sliced.
Option: Garnish with 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded.
Option: Garnish with 1/4 cup sour cream.
Option: Garnish with 1/4 cup pepitas.
