Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado
Hearty vegetarian chili made with butternut squash and black beans. This chili satisfies carnivores, vegans and gluten-free eaters alike. Everyone loves it!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Fall is in the air, as they say. The green leaves are just beginning to acknowledge the change in seasons along their peripheries; my nose is following suit with incessant sneezes. It’s that wonderfully awkward transitional time when I’m never sure what to wear: shorts now, or a sweater for later? And what do I cook: the last of the tomatoes, or sweet potatoes? We’ll be bundled up in scarves, carving pumpkins and crafting Halloween costumes before we know it. I can’t wait.
Football season seems to be in full swing, too. My old friends are taunting me with photos of game day meals made in the college town I used to call home—let’s be honest, football is really all about the food and beer anyway. Forget standing in crowds at stadiums! Give me a comfortable seat, friends, good food and drinks. The fact that a game is on while I chit-chat is purely secondary.
This butternut squash and black bean chili is just right for fall weather and football games. It strikes that balance between spicy and sweet that I love in Mexican food, like a good mole sauce. Chipotle and chili powder provide ample spice to round off the sweet, seasonal flavor of butternut squash. Top with crispy tortilla strips and plenty of creamy diced avocado for a hearty meal that will satisfy vegans, carnivores and gluten-free eaters alike. Meals like that aren’t easy to come by, you know?
The chili happens to be super simple to make, too. Once you have your vegetables chopped, your work is almost done. Speaking of which, I’ve done my fair share of cursing at butternut for being difficult to peel and slice, but I didn’t have any trouble when I followed Simply Recipes’ method. I don’t know if it was her method or this butternut squash in particular, but it was a breeze. Try it!
Watch How to Make Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili
Le Creuset 5 1/2-Quart French Oven
Wusthof Classic 7-Inch Santoku Knife
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado
Hearty, spicy and sweet vegetarian chili made with butternut squash and black beans. Top with creamy avocado for an easy meal that satisfies vegans, carnivores and gluten-free eaters alike. This recipe yields about 12 cups, enough for 4 to 6 bowls. This chili is very hearty, but feel free to add another can of tomatoes or more vegetable broth if you want to thin it out a bit. Double the recipe for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 1 small butternut squash (1 ½ pounds or less), peeled and chopped into ½-inch cubes
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- Fine salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½+ tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo* (start with ½ tablespoon and add more to taste, I thought mine was just right with 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
- 1 small can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, including the liquid
- 2 cups vegetable broth or one 14-ounce can
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- 3 corn tortillas for crispy tortilla strips, or a handful of crumbled tortilla chips
- Optional additional garnishes: Chopped fresh cilantro and/or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and butternut squash, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are turning translucent.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic, chili powder, ½ tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers, cumin and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bay leaf, black beans, tomatoes and their juices and broth. Stir to combine and cover for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste about halfway through cooking and add more chopped chipotle peppers if you’d like.
- You’ll know your chili is done when the butternut squash is nice and tender, and the liquid has reduced a bit, producing the hearty chili consistency we all know and love. Remove the bay leaf and add salt to taste.
- To make the crispy tortilla strips: stack the corn tortillas and slice them into thin little strips, about 2 inches long by ¼ inch wide. Warm a drizzle of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat until shimmering. Toss in the tortilla slices, sprinkle with salt, and stir. Cook until the strips are crispy and turning golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 7 minutes. Remove tortilla strips from the skillet and drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.
- Serve the chili in bowls, topped with crispy tortilla strips and plenty of diced avocado. I added a little sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional). Cilantro would be nice as well. For spice lovers like me, you might want to serve this with some chipotle hot sauce (Tobasco makes one).
Notes
*Chipotle in adobo sauce is usually found in the Mexican section of the grocery store. I never need a whole can at once, so I use what I need and then transfer the rest to a small freezer bag, pressing it flat before freezing it. Then, I can pull off as much as I need later. As a substitute, use smoked paprika (start at 1 ½ teaspoons, and add more if desired).
On leftovers: This chili reheats great. Avocado and crispy tortilla chips should be added after reheating, just before serving. These tortilla strips tend to lose their crisp over time, so you can a) skip them altogether, b) make more just before serving or c) substitute a small handful of crumbled tortilla chips instead!
Want to make this in a crockpot/slow cooker? I haven’t tried, but commenters report that this chili turns out well after 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low.
Fun fact: If you’re looking for the butternut chili presented by a contestant on ABC’s The Chew, this is it!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Another winner Miss Kathryn. I’m a total nut about anything with Chipotle, then toss in avocados and I’m pretty much cloud 9-ing it.
I made this last night! YUM!! I’d love to invite you to link up at our Gluten Free Fridays recipe party~ The link will be live on Friday, come visit http://www.vegetarianmamma.com
Thanks and I hope that you join us! My family LOVED this recipe!! :)
Made this last week and it turned out awesome. I didn’t put the chipotle in it as I’m not a huge fan of the smoky flavor. I did use fresh Cheyenne peppers that gave it a nice softly spicy flavor to compliment the flavor of the butternut squash. I also used red and black beans instead of straight black – plus I diced and stewed tomatoes from my garden while I was cutting up the squash and added those to the chili. Excellent recipe!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Your substitutions sound great.
This was soooo delicious! I served it to company last weekend and they scraped the pot clean, even though one of them usually prefers meat at every meal. My two modifications: I added one extra can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, and served with sour cream. My boyfriend keeps asking “Are you sure there aren’t leftovers?”
Thanks, Julie! Your additions sound great.
I made this tonight. I haven’t tasted it yet, but it smells amazing! The only thing is that I cooked it for as long as you said to, and it only got more watery not less. I added a little bit of cornstarch, which seemed to help. Overall, thanks for the great recipe!
Just wanted to let you know this recipe was amazing! I made it last night and both my partner and I immediately agreed this is a new favorite! He is usually not a huge fan of spicy dishes but went through two bowls of the stuff anyway!
I brought some leftovers to work for lunch and by the time my bowl made its way around the table I barely had enough for myself!
My only alterations… skipped the cumin (he isn’t a fan) and cilantro (didn’t have any) and didn’t simmer it for the full hour (a. I think it was cooked enough – and b. we were too hungry) :)
Thanks!!!
This recipe is unbelievably good…and its one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day heated up after a night in the fridge….just loved it!!
So glad to hear it, Melody!
This was seriously delicious and easy to make. The only changes I made was to add a half-bunch of cilantro (not just use for garnish), serve with tortilla chips, and serve with grated strong cheddar. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Josh! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and your substitutions all sound great.
This was a huge football Sunday crowd pleaser! I added a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder and HIGHLY recommend it!
Yummy! I making this with the chipotle paste in a tube that i just bought here. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097UW3EK
This sounds yummy and I want to make but was going to try it in a crock pot. Do you think it will work and have any suggestions? Thanks!!
Hi Michele, I’m sorry for the delayed response. I would suggest sautéing the vegetables in a pan on the stove for a few minutes before adding them to the crock pot to bring out their flavors.
I’m doing the Daniel Fast…started January 1st….and on a whim bought the prechopped butternut squash at our local Walmart thinking I could figure out something to do with it.
So, one morning, when packing my lunch, I grabbed romaine, butternut squash, avocado, cucumber, and balsamic dressing. When combined I decided that I LOVED avocado and butternut squash together. Went to Google. Popped those two ingrediets into a search, and Voila….I ended up here! I made this recipe on Saturday, fed my Mom, fed myself, fed a friend at work, and fed myself half a dozen more times! This chili is AMAZING. Some things I did differently, just based on preference, was I used green pepper, and some hot red chili peppers, chipotle chili powder, about double the amount of cumin, (omitted the cinnamon, because I totally forgot), and used a 29 ounce can of diced tomatoes. This is a Daniel Fast approved recipe (minus the tortillas crisps) and was the most flavorful thing I have eaten in a while. I have not only kept this recipe, but I have given it out to many in the course of the last few days. Thank you for posting! I have a new favorite chili recipe!
Carrie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the chili recipe and made it work for you! I do love avocado and butternut together, yum.
Totally love it. Been wanting to make vegan chilly for a long time now. Thank u. Admire all the effort u put in the website.
Thank you, Kavita.
I made this for the staff appreciation lunch at my daughter’s high school. It was the veggie favorite! I did add more chipotle because we like heat in the southwest. Thank you Kavita!
Sharon, I’m so glad my chili was a hit at your staff appreciation lunch! Woohoo!
Just finished making this. It was fantastic! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
This chili was uh-mazing! The squash was fantastic, and the saucy part of the chili equally delicious. It’ll be our lunch today & we can’t wait. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the chili, Jessica!
this looks LOVELY! On my list of “must try soon”…
BTW, you’re blog has been an inspiration to me as I start out on my own food blog adventure. thank you! :-)
~lynn
oh….if you like chipotles in your chili (and chocolate :))…here is a great chili recipe I picked up in a local foodie mag :-)
http://www.travelynneats.com/2013/02/25/chocolate-chipolte-bison-chili-3/
I’m so ready for butternut squash season – and this chili looks so cozy and comforting!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so yummy!! It tasted great and I wish I could bottle the smell coming from my kitchen while it was cooking. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the chili! Thanks for commenting, Jackie!
Silly question, but I grabbed a jar of crushed chipotle peppers instead of the peppers in adobe sauce. Will this work in place?
Thanks!
Are they like red pepper flakes? I’m sure the chili will be great with the crushed peppers. I’m not sure how the heat levels compare between the two, so start with a little bit and add more to taste as the chili simmers.
This is wonderful and easy to make! We like butternut squash so I am always looking for more recipes that include it. Thanks.
Thank you, Lynn! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe!
Just discovered your blog yesterday, made this last night. I cannot wait to try more of your recipes! The hot toddy is next on my list :-D
Melonee, I’m so glad you are enjoying my blog and your recipes! Thank you!
I made this last weekend, for the twentieth time overall, and have been enjoying the leftovers for lunch all week. This recipe is well-constructed, and the product is delicious. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you, Christine! :)
I’ve made this twice now & it’s delicious! I made just a couple changes due to personal preference (it’s great as-is); I double the amount of chili powder and add some rough chopped fresh tomatoes as well. Mostly bc I love the super rich taste of chili & I had some extra tomatoes to use up before they went mushy. But seriously, this recipe is amazing. You don’t even miss the meat & the cinnamon/nutmeg add such a dimension w/the squash. Thanks for this!
Made this today and I love it! Definitely a recipe to keep. So glad I found your site!! :)
Thanks, Hilary! I’m glad you enjoyed the chili!
I happened upon your website today SO GLAD that I did! I am making this chili as I I type. Perfect weather for a hearty bowl of warming goodness!
I can’t wait to eat it!
Thank you!!
Oh boy, I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner, Leigh! Welcome to my blog and I hope you enjoyed the chili!
Don’t give it another thought… I’ve been happily browsing your site and enjoying other recipes along the way – crispy sweet potato fries… awesome!
I just made (and ate) this recipe and I am an instant fan. You’re very talented and I can’t wait to try more recipes on your website. Thank you!
Thank you, Corrie! So glad you found my website. Hope you enjoy the other recipes that strike your fancy.
This recipe is seriously the bomb! Husband loves it too (ground turkey on the side for him to add in). The avocado on top takes this from a great recipe to an amazing one! A full avocado on a 1 cup serving is how you intended it, right? ;-) Chili is something I’ve always missed since becoming vegetarian– 2 years ago! thanks for a super tasty replacement!!
Tricia, so glad you two are enjoying the chili. I fully support your avocado serving size. ;)
Kate, Hope Cookie is still on the mend. I made your chili this past weekend. Used a bigger butternut squash and added an extra can of tomatoes (used the fire roasted ones),it is grrrrreat! And I mean it. Love, love, love the flavor the avocado brings to it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Looking forward to trying some of the other recipes in the list.
Mary Ann and 7 collies
Make this last night and it turned out awesome! Thanks!
Hooray!
I’ve made this chili twice and I love it! Aside from vegetable prep, it is so easy to prepare. It makes my apartment smell divine, and it tastes delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hey Raniya, I’m really happy that you enjoy the chili so much. Thank you for commenting!
Thank you for this recipe! I tried it last night and it was delicious, even using sub-par chili powder. I did puree 2-3 cups of the mixture once cooked because I like what it does to the texture :)
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it. Puréeing a portion of it is a great idea!
I made this last night and it was absolutely delightful!! Thank you very much for the recipe! I wish I’d read the tips on peeling butternut squash BEFORE making the chilli though. What a nightmare! I will definitely try the trick you used next time! :)
Thanks, Emily! Glad you enjoyed the chili! Better luck peeling the squash next time. :)
Okay I made this a couple weeks ago but remembered I needed to comment and tell you this was soo good! I don’t think I even made any changes to it….I threw some some sour cream, guac, and cheese on top and it was a perfect lunch.
ALSO your tip about laying leftover chipotles and adobo sauce in a ziploc bag has been amazing. I usually feel bad because I toss out the leftovers but now I’ve been able to use them at will and that’s great. :)
Thanks, Lia! So glad you loved the chili and that adobo tip. :)
WOW! Your whole post was fantastic. The meal was delicious. I made no adjustments. AND the link to cutting/peeling butternut squash was just what I needed. I just thought I had no muscles. Thank you Kate!
Thank you, Monique! I’m delighted that you enjoyed the chili so much.
I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight. Delicious!! Can’t wait to try more recipes from your blog!
Thanks, Gina! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chili! Hope you love the other recipes, too. :)
OMG I seriously can not wait to make this next week! My husband will love this (and so will I) – looks delicious! I just love your recipes. We are trying to incorporate more ‘vegetarian’ food in our real-food changeover this year …. this is perfect.
Thank you, Skye! Hope you both love the chili. It’s been really popular with meat eaters!
Well, I made this tonight and we loved it. Seriously loved it. For caloric purposes, I divided it into 6 portions as I felt 4 servings were very enormous portions! I used fresh organic adobo instead of chipotle (I missed that ingredient when I food shopped this week!) – the adobo was a nice substitute. I never made fresh corn chips like that before – great idea! So easy too!
Thanks, Skye! So glad you enjoyed it. I’ve never seen fresh adobo for sale. Bet it was great!
All I can say is YUMMY!! Someone went on The Chew and made your recipe.. She did not credit you but it was the same exactly as yours..even the name. I pulled it up on their website and got what I need at the store & when I went to make it the show had pulled it. Ugh…So I went on Pinterest and searched the name of the recipe and low and behold you popped up(thank you very much) and I saw this was posted in 2012. I added some portabella mushrooms(it gave it a meaty flavor), 2 more cans of dark red kidney beans along with the black beans and some veggie stock. We all didn’t miss the meat at all. We seem to be able to get butternut squash here all year long…so This will be something to make many more times…. Thank you Kate… :)
Marsha, that is exactly what happened! I asked The Chew to link to my site for the full recipe instead of taking the whole page down, but they have not. Regardless, I’m so glad you found my recipe and enjoyed it!
The Chew did finally put a link. That’s how I found the recipe. Can’t wait to make it on Monday!
Just made it for a work lunch tomorrow – love it! Thanks for the recipe :)
Hooray, thanks!
OHHHH seriously! This looks so good… drooling on keyboard! HAHA. Love love love your site! AHH! :) Thanks for the blogger and foodie inspiration. e + c
Made this today. I had to add a lot more cumin, and some extra chili powder. I’m from Texas so chili has to be a lot thicker. This one was way to watery, so I added some cornstarch to help. We like spicy, so added some red hots hot sauce or could do jalapenos. The nice thing, is you can add this and that during the cooking process to your liking. When it was finished cooking, I was incredibly happy with the result, especially being a person who likes his meat. You won’t miss the meat in this recipe….
Thanks, Cameron. I’m glad the chili suited your preferences. I’m from Oklahoma and didn’t think it was too watery, but maybe I cooked mine longer. :)
sorry, I probably sounded too critical. It really was great! I have never been very satisfied with a vegetarian type meal as I was with this one. This recipe will be something prepared again in my household and I will definitely try more of your recipes very soon.
No, thank you, Cameron! I’m glad you enjoyed the chili so much. You might check out the “favorites” link below my header—those recipes are really popular with readers and are pretty hearty as well!
We came across this recipe over a year ago and I never thought to comment on it. This is our go to chili recipe and honestly it is the only type of chili we make now even though our family eats meat quite regularly. I’ve begun freezing meals since my return to school and was wondering if you have any recommendations for freezing this. Thanks.
(BTW this is one of the few recipes that I follow exactly every time because the flavors are just too perfect to mess with)
Hey Kalina, thanks for commenting! I’m happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying the chili. I haven’t tried freezing the chili but I think it would be a great candidate for freezing. I like to freeze soups in individual portion mason jars. Just leave plenty of room at the top for liquid expansion and wait to screw on the lid until after it’s frozen. Then you can toss the frozen jar in your lunch box and defrost it in a microwave later.
Wow, that looks fantastic! We will try this over the weekend. Thank you. Amybeth Hurst, Portland, ME
Hope you enjoyed the chili, Amybeth!
I love my y-shaped vegetable peeler I bought it specifically for peeling butternut squash after I saw Guy Fieri peeling butternut squash with ease with a y-shaped peeler on the Food Network.
It’s one of my favourite kitchen tools.
If you also label this as vegan (which it is) you can keep getting more hits!
This sounds so good. I’m not a vegetarian so I think I might add some ground turkey to the dish. I’ll let you know how it goes. :)
This is great! I made this for a chili cook off at my sons school, the adobe chili was a little to spicy so I added a can of coconut milk and had coconut milk on the side to drizzle on top. I also added 2oz unsweetened chocolate , then adding all that coconut milk make it to soupy so I added 1/4 cup brown rice. It’s a great recipe to start with and then you can add all the extras to make it fit your company. Avo was to expensive for the whole school so I had cilantro and crushed corn chips on the side. It was a big hit and our class came in second, but it was only by two votes. Thank you
Adobo chili not adobe chili LOL and I forgot to rate it.
Hey Shane, thanks for your great comment! Your coconut milk, chocolate and rice version sounds fantastic! Glad it went over well at school!
This is definitely the best chili I have ever made! Thanks for an awesome recipe! I will make this over and over again!
Yes! Thanks, Lonni!