Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

October 28, 2021

Vegan Butternut Squash Chili is a hearty healthy family dinner made with butternut squash, onions, peppers, and pantry staples that’s packed with flavor! This plant-based dinner will even satisfy carnivores and vegans alike! As a bonus, leftovers taste even better and this vegan chili recipe freezes well.

Gluten Free, Vegan, Nut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Soy Free

Chili season is here and it’s one of my favorites! After all, there’s nothing better than a hearty bowl of chili on a chilly day. Even better, chili is an easy one-pot dinner that feeds an army… is there anything better than leftovers for lunch the next day?!

This hearty butternut squash chili just so happens to be 100% plant-based and vegan, but carnivores will love it too thanks to chunks of tender butternut squash, two types of beans, plus so much flavor.

This Vegan Butternut Squash Chili is a…

One-pot meal
Hearty family dinner
100% plant-based and vegan
Satisfying dinner
Great recipe for leftovers
Freezer-friendly meal
Crowd pleaser

Ingredients to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

Yes, the ingredient list looks way longer than most of my recipes – you’re correct. I’ll just admit to the elephant in the room!

BUT, what makes the list so lengthy are the SPICES. As I mentioned in this post, a well-stocked spice cabinet is essential to make your food taste good! Especially when it comes to recipes with a Mexican flare.

Even so, you’ll need 10-12 ingredients to make this recipe.

Yes, there’s a range because 2 ingredients are optional: red pepper flakes and cilantro (I know they’re both up for debate based on YOUR taste buds!)

In addition to oil, salt and pepper you’ll need:

Onion
Butternut squash
Chili powder
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Bell peppers (frozen or fresh)
Canned fire roasted tomatoes
Black beans
Red kidney beans
Plus optional cilantro and red pepper flakes

Ingredient Hacks for This Easy Chili Recipe

Hello my name is Chelsey and I would LOVE for you to save some time making this recipe… so meet my ingredient hacks!

1. Buy pre-cut butternut squash

Butternut squash is a BEAST of a vegetable to cut. If it’s intimidating to you with its thick skin and seeds to scoop out (that somehow always end up all over your kitchen), buy it pre-cut. Most grocery stores offer butternut squash already cubed.

To quicken cook time in this recipe I do prefer to cut the butternut squash in ¼ to ½-inch cubes. Any bigger and it takes way too long for the butternut squash to soften. As such, you may need to cut down the size of the butternut squash you buy pre-cut. But at least you saved the step of peeling and scooping out the seeds!

2. Use canned tomatoes and beans

There’s this big myth floating around that canned foods are not as nutritious as fresh. And for most canned foods this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Two canned foods that I always have in my pantry (dietitian-approved!) are:

Canned tomatoes
Canned beans

Fire-roasted diced canned tomatoes are perfect in this recipe. They already have tons of flavor thanks to the fire roasting process, so they add an extra layer of flavor to chili. I order mine from Thrive Market.

Canned beans are also a lifesaver! Unless it comes second nature to you, there’s no reason to futz with soaking and cooking dry beans. Canned beans are lower in sodium than ever before, packaged in BPA-free cans, and the easiest plant-based protein source! Plus when you rinse canned beans you remove up to 40% of the sodium too.

3. Buy frozen bell pepper strips

I don’t know about where you live, but where we live bell peppers are SO expensive. For dishes like chili and soups, frozen bell peppers are perfect! You’ll save SO much money and won’t sacrifice the flavor at all. Plus, you’ll save time chopping!

4. Use pre-made taco seasoning or fajita blend

You can narrow down all of the spices into a single spice blend if you want to use pre-made taco seasoning or a fajita blend. I really like this blend from Primal Palate (not sponsored!).

One caveat to using a pre-made spice blend is that you don’t get to tweak the amounts of each spice as much. So if you’re salt sensitive, a spice blend may not be the best idea for you. Or, if you like more cumin, garlic, chili powder, etc., you can’t make those tweaks unless you add more of the single spice (and in that case I would just say to use the original spices!).

How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

Chili is one of my favorite fall and winter meals to make because you can make the entire thing in one pan.

First, saute onions and butternut squash. These take a while to cook, so we start with them. As they begin to soften, after about 5-8 minutes over medium heat, add half of the spices.

The key to chili is to season at every step of the way!

Then we’ll add the bell peppers and continue to saute until the vegetables are cooked and soft to bite.

The reason I don’t add the bell peppers originally is because they’ll get a tad mushy if you add them too early. This is especially true if you’re using frozen bell pepper strips. Instead, add them after the butternut squash starts to soften a bit.

Next, we do a can dump! Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and beans and season again. Now just let the chili cook.

Chili is one of those foods that tastes better as it has more time to develop flavor (AKA sit on the stove), so it’s OK if you leave it to simmer for a little bit. This is a great time to prepare anything you’d like to serve with the chili (rice, cornbread, shredded cabbage, salad, etc.)

Before serving, mix in cilantro for a bright burst of flavor.

How to Nutritionally Balance Your Vegan Chili Plate

If you’re familiar with my nutrition philosophy you know I believe in balance to help keep your energy levels elevated, help you feel satisfied from your meals, and help prevent cravings. I teach all about how to balance your plate in my *free* Ultimate Guide to Balance Your Plate.

But sometimes I receive questions about how to balance VEGAN meals. And it can be confusing! So let’s break it down…

A balanced meal contains:

Protein
Veggies
Carbs
Healthy fats

So where can you find these nutrients in this meal?

Protein: Beans are chock full of protein! One cup of beans contains 14 grams of protein!
Veggies: as the title of this recipe contains a veggie, yes, this recipe contains veggies! Onions, peppers, and butternut squash all fit the bill. I also like to serve with shredded cabbage for an extra crunch!
Carbs: Beans aren’t just protein, but also carbs. Plus, butternut squash is a moderate starchy vegetable, meaning it contains more carbs than say, onions or peppers. See below for more ideas to increase the carbs when serving.
Healthy fats: As is, this recipe is actually fairly low in fat (just the cooking oil), which is common in a lot of vegan cooking. As such, I like to add more healthy fats when assembling a hearty chili bowl. Sliced avocado or shredded cheddar cheese are my favorites.

How to Serve Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

There are SO many different ways to serve chili. I’m sure you already have a favorite, but here are some great ideas…

You can serve chili…

With rice
Over salad
With cornbread
With cabbage slaw
Straight out of the pot!

Making a chili bar is my favorite way to serve a crowd (especially during football season!). You can make one or two types of chili (like this recipe and my Easy Turkey Chili) and then put out tons of toppings and/or sides.

Some of my favorite chili toppings include:

Avocado
Shredded cheese
More cilantro (I’m a fan – can you tell?)
Shredded iceberg lettuce or cabbage for a crunch
Fresh chopped tomatoes
Tortilla chips (for more salty crunch)

Kitchen Tools to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Chili

As I mentioned before, you only need one pan to make this recipe – so make it a big one! I used a saute pan like this, but honestly could’ve gone bigger.

You’ll also need a wooden spoon or spatula to saute your veggies.

Other than that, I suggest investing in some great glass storage containers because you will have extra if you have a smaller family. Luckily, this vegan chili recipe freezes great!