Smoky squash chili with quinoa, pinto and black beans is a hearty, healthy, and protein-rich recipe that is perfect for brisk days.
We’ve had so many cloudy and drizzly days here. That’s nonstop soup and cozy carbs weather if you ask me. Our dogs happily lay by the fire or snuggle next to us pretty much all day now and the kettle is perpetually on. The leaves have fallen to that point where they look quite pretty, but there’s no urgent need to get them raked up just yet. Also basketball season starts this week! Like every other food or lifestyle blogger in a four season climate, I just love every little thing about Fall. I don’t even mind the dark early mornings! I find them cozy and ripe for quiet contemplation and a big cup of tea.
Chili is a thing that I crave on the first rainy and cold day of October, and then I basically don’t think about it again until the Superbowl. Once I satisfy the craving I’m good for a while (unless we’re talking Buffalo Chickpea Chili–I’ll eat that any time, any day). I do love making and eating it, but when I do, the chili has to have some unusual extras, quite a bit of spice, lots of toppings, and possibly/definitely a corn muffin on the side. Guess I’m just particular?
It is my professional opinion that this chili recipe really brings it. It’s got some mellow squash cubes (I used honey nut), fire-roasted tomatoes, a little bit of quinoa for body, TWO types of beans (hecka protein!), cocoa for depth, poblano peppers, lots of cilantro on top, and it features my new favourite ingredient: straight up smoky adobo sauce from chipotle chilies. I noticed jars of this sauce on grocery shelves on one of my recent trips to the US and had to snag one.
I’m always buying cans of chipotles, but usually wind up favouring the thick sauce that surrounds the actual chilies. It’s amazing in dressings, sauces, braises, stews, pasta sauce, honestly anything that needs heat or a little something extra in terms of depth. At its heart, adobo is simply a marinade used for raw foods and has been widely adopted throughout Latin cuisine. Typical ingredients include paprika, vinegar, garlic, and oregano. Having a jar of this smoky goodness will definitely help transform some of your weekday staples. It mingles beautifully with the sweet and creamy squash in this chili.
I topped ours with some basic cashew sour cream (similar recipe here), and made a mini batch of the corn muffins from Love & Lemons for this cozy dinner, and it was all just so cozy and great. Hope you all give this chili a try as part of your Fall festivities. Stay warm out there!
Smoky Squash Chili with Quinoa, Pinto & Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups small-diced butternut/honey nut squash (about one 1-lb squash)
- ¼ cup quinoa
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 28- oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups cooked pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large poblano pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped cilantro, for garnish
Notes
- Sweet potatoes would be great in place of the squash and would take about the same amount of time to cook.
- If you can’t find poblano peppers, go for a bell pepper in whatever colour you like.
- If you’re opening a can of chipotles to get the adobo sauce and you enjoy some extra spice, chop one of the actual chipotles up and add them to the chili along with the adobo sauce.
- I served the chili with Love & Lemons’ corn muffins (RECIPE HERE) and some cashew sour cream (RECIPE HERE)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions to the pot and sauté until translucent and softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, and cocoa to the pot and stir. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the squash, quinoa, and some salt and pepper. Stir to coat everything in the cocoa and spices.
- Once everything is starting to dry up/stick, add the adobo sauce and vegetable stock to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to get any golden brown bits. Add the crushed tomatoes, pinto beans, black beans, poblano pepper, and a bit more salt and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring the smoky squash chili to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and place a lid on top of the pot. Let the chili simmer until the squash is soft all the way through, about 25-28 minutes. Check the smoky squash chili for seasoning one more time and adjust if necessary. Serve the chili hot with chopped cilantro on top.
Oh my I needed this recipe <3
When you say “add the Quinoa”, do we cook the Quinoa first or just add the quinoa uncooked? :) Can’t wait to make this!
Hi Andrea!
You add the quinoa in its raw state. It cooks as the chili cooks :)
-L
Beautiful! Squash, quinoa and pinto beans are staples around here so I am def giving this one a go.
Do you have a recipe for the cornbread too?
Hi Stephanie,
I used the recipe from the Love & Lemons blog, which I link to in the post.
-L
I love the sound of all the flavors that you used here. I have to admit that I’ve been too timid to try cacao in my chili yet but I realize I need to rectify this immediately!! ;)
This looks marvelous! Any chance I could make it in a slow cooker?
Hi Natalie,
I think you could. I would put all of the ingredients in at once, give everything a stir, and then you can either cook the chili on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
-L
Thank you so much Laura!
Looks delicious. Can I use canned beans?
Hi Valere,
Yes you definitely can! You’ll need one 15-ounce can each of pinto and black beans. Just drain and rinse them before you start the recipe.
-L
Looking forward to making this…all my favorite flavors in one pot. Perfect chili to fight the chilly fall nights. ;) Is the recipe for those perfect looking corn muffins featured in the picture available?
The corn muffins are from the Love & Lemons site and I’ve linked to them in the blog post and the recipe notes.
Chili is one of my favorite fall and winter dishes! I seriously love packing mine with heaps and heaps of beans. This is giving me some serious recipe inspiration–it’s packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like beans, squash, and quinoa. I love it!
Yum! Making this asap, and want to pair it with a fall-y dessert. I can’t find the brownie recipe, though. Am I missing it??
I wanna dive face first into that pot. Bravo, friend!
This was amazing! Easy to make, super tasty, and perfect for the weather. Thank you!
This is my new favorite chili! I just loved this! I found out too late that I was out of adobo sauce, so I added a teaspoon of smoked paprika to compensate. I think it would have been even better with the adobo, but it was delicious even with my variation. Will make this again many times!
The not-so-great news: I made this as stated and I just didn’t love it. The flavor was lacking despite the delicious ingredients. The GREAT news: while reading this post, I clicked on the link for Buffalo Chickpea Chili, which led me to the link for the Buffalo Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Ranch. I just made the salad for dinner — MIND-BLOWING. Laura, I so appreciate the efforts you put in to create these recipes and I adore your real commentary, so I hope I didn’t dent your feelings about the squash chili. Your website is my #1 (as is your cookbook). Thank you for a delicious dinner!
Made this tonight for a Halloween dinner. Amazing! We really liked it. The depth of the flavors abd the richness really brought this chilly to another level. My only comment is to taste the Adobo sauce before adding it in. I was cooking for a large group including kids and this turned out a bit too spicy for the little ones. If you are spice sensitive or cooking for others, the spiciness can vary from brand to brand and tasting along the way would be wize. Thank you for another great recipe!!
This was delicious. I didn’t have the poblano, and had to sub white beans for the pintos, but I had good spices, and with sweet corn muffins (from a mix) crumbled in the bottom of our bowls and avocado slices on top, we went back for thirds. Thank you!
This recipe looks delicious but it’s stuff to get crushed fire roasted tomatoes in the UK. Would it be possible to use regular tinned tomatoes instead?
Yes, regular crushed tomatoes would also be great!
-L
I made this for dinner last night using your sweet potato sub. It was so delicious, I love the way the spices created a darker and richer base for the veg and beans! Definitely a nice way to make chili a little more sophisticated.
Thank you for the always delicious recipes!
<3
Just made it today, it was amazing !! We finished by eating on the pot with the spoon !
This looks freaking amazing and delicious! I’m going to have to make it this weekend, thanks for making my life a little easier Also, your new(to me) website is kickass! Love your fonts.
How do you cook your beans, is there a way to incorporate cooking time?
Really enjoyed this dish tonight, and I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow! Thinking about trying this as a freezer meal. Any thoughts on the best way to do that?
Hi Paige,
I think this chili would freeze nicely in tightly sealed containers. The quinoa will probably expand/absorb more liquid after thawing, but otherwise, it will be great! Save the cilantro garnish for when you thaw and re-heat.
-L