Gold Rush Chili

It is definitely fall out here in Virginia, which means I crave all things warm and soupy. Chilis, soups, stews, if it's hot it gets served. Being Saturday I had some extra time on my hands so I decided to try out another recipe from the food blog Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.


The hardest and most time consuming part of the recipe is getting the butternut squash prepped. I've heard a serrated peeler works well but I decided to go with a knife. I peeled it like you would a kiwi and, while it worked, it was just a little bit more difficult then I expected. But in the end it's definitely worth it.



Gold Rush Chili

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 2 tsp minced garlic


• 1 red bell pepper, chopped


• 1 tablespoon mild chili powder


• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin


• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano


• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes


• 1/2 cup water


• freshly ground black pepper, to taste


• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained


• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained

Heat a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add all the seasonings, and stir well to coat the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes (and their juice), water, squash, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the beans, cover and cook until the squash is tender but not falling apart (about 20 minutes, depending on size of squash cubes).