Hi hi hi! Super excited to start sharing more of my simple, whole food plant-based recipes with you all and today we are talking about the perfect winter chili recipe- it’s the Vegan Kabocha Squash Chili from my Green Girl At Home E-Book. This recipe was inspired by one of my all time favorite cookbooks called The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone (check out this video on Instagram where I share more about it).
When eating seasonally, we know that squashes are all the rage as we enter into these colder months. TBH, I’ve had a tough time with squash when it comes to vegetables. Acorn and spaghetti squash just don’t do it for me and butternut is ok…I guess. But kabocha- OMG last year I fell head over heels in love with this little guy. I like to eat it with the skin on and I think it pairs way better with spicier, tangy flavors like tomato and sherry vinegar versus sweet.
How To Make Vegan Kabocha Squash Chili
Details
At least 4 servings
20 minutes
45-60 minutes
Print
Ingredients
1 head of Garlic
1 White Onion
Cumin to taste
Chili Powder to taste
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
4-5 Roma Tomatoes chopped
1 Jar of Diced Tomatoes
½ a Kabocha Squash
A few Celery stalks
A few multi-color Carrots
1 large can Cannellini beans or any chili beans
1 cup White Rice Vinegar
Sherry Vinegar to taste
1 cup Water
Fresh Cilantro to taste
Directions
- Chop the whole head of garlic and the onion. Saute the onions and garlic by placing into a pot or tall pan with a little avocado or olive oil and heat on low for a few minutes.
- Add cumin, chili powder, and sea salt to taste.
- Chop the roma tomatoes and add to the pot/pan. Let ingredients continue to cook for a few minutes.
- Next, drain and rinse beans and set aside.
- Meanwhile, while the garlic, onion, and tomato are cooking, chop the kombucha squash, carrots, and celery. You can also pre-chop earlier in the day or the night before to cook the chili faster.
- Add the chopped squash, celery, carrots, and beans to the pot/pan.
- Pour in the 1 cup of water and 1 cup of rice vinegar.
- Then, add about two tablespoons of sherry vinegar to taste.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Then, cook the chili covered on low to medium heat for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until squash and veggies are soft and cooked through to eat.
- Serve with fresh, chopped cilantro!
A few tippity tips for this amazing comfort food dish! So I tested this recipe the other weekend again when my sister was in town visiting and we thought of a few useful ideas for substitutions and how to use your leftovers.
First, depending on the size of the squash, you could use the whole squash but I’d really recommend using about half of it. Forewarning, the squash is definitely hard to chop so if you can find it in your local grocery pre-chopped or even frozen, go for it. And keep the skin on!
If you are in a pinch and can’t find kabocha, you could always sub for butternut squash.
Feel free to make this dish even heartier by adding cooked potatoes into the chili. I recently added them and it was sooo yummy. I had some leftover multi-color and red potatoes that I had cooked a few nights before so I wanted to use these leftovers. You can dice them (keeping the skin on) and roasted in olive oil and sea salt on a pan in the oven for 20 minutes.
When it comes to sides, you could add a side salad to make the chili the main course or bread goes super well. My favorites are cornbread and Coco Bake’s vegan/gluten-free sourdough. The Kind Diet cookbook had a good vegan cornbread recipe you can check out.
When it comes to leftovers, the chili will last about 5 days in the fridge or you can freeze it! This batch should be enough for meals for 2 people over a couple of days.
Lastly, as you guys may know from seeing my Instagram stories, I love spice. I like to top my chili with red pepper and/or cayenne to give it a bit of kick.
Ok, and there you have it! My heart and delicious Vegan Kabocha Squash Chili. Do you guys want more recipes? Please comment below so I can continue to share healthy, whole food nutrition with ya even during these winter months.
Until next time. XOXO,
Dani
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