Cold, wet weather practically demands chili. I love all kinds of chili. This is one I make around this time of year, because I can use fresh pumpkin rather than the canned stuff. It makes a huge difference!
Ingredients:
- 2 cans navy beans* OR 1 bag (soaked overnight)
- vegetable or chicken broth
- butter or margarine
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 can fire roasted stewed tomatoes
- 1 small can tomato sauce
- 1 tiny can chopped green chillies
- 1 “pie” pumpkin (small), roasted and the meat scraped out
- spices: coriander, cumin, garlic flakes, rosemary, chili powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, pepper
If you want to make this vegan and gluten free, dump all of the above into a crockpot, put it on high, and cook for about 6 hours. Check the beans at the 4 hour mark and every hour thereafter. Cook until the beans are soft but not too mushy. Add in extra liquid if necessary. You can add heat to it with a hot sauce, or simply sprinkle with more red pepper flakes at the table.
If you want this to be meaty, I actually recommend ground turkey or chicken rather than beef for this one. You don’t want to overpower the flavor of the pumpkin, which ground beef will do. Instead, brown up your ground turkey or chicken, then add it in with the other ingredients.
When it comes to the *beans, you don’t have to use navy beans. Feel free to use whatever type or combination of types that you like. Because I want the pumpkin to shine through, I went with navy beans. You could use little white beans, kidney beans, black beans… it’s up to you. One bag of dried beans, soaked overnight, is equivalent to 2 of the big cans of beans, rinsed and dumped into the cooker.
Serve your chili with a side of cornbread, and top it with green onions, parsley, sour cream (or a dairy free alternative), and/or cheese. Enjoy!