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Two white bowls of Vegetarian Pumpkin & Three-Bean Chili topped with cheese, sour cream and micro cilantro

Vegetarian Pumpkin & Three-Bean Chili

This robustly flavored vegetarian chili features three kinds of beans and pumpkin puree for a luxurious texture and fabulous fall flavor. So good you won't miss the meat!
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, diced, plus more for garnish if desired
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 whole canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of their sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder*
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon black garlic powder, optional
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 28 oz / 794 g fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 15 oz / 425 g black beans, with liquid
  • 15 oz / 425 g pinto beans, with liquid
  • 15 oz / 425 g red kidney beans, with liquid
  • 1 cup / 260 g canned pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups / 470 g vegetable broth, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste
  • 1 cup / 160 g frozen corn kernels
  • sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro, , for topping

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add onion, pepper and garlic and sautée until softened and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add chipotle and spices and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add tomatoes, all three beans and their liquid, pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and corn. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cook it slightly longer for a thicker chili, or add a bit more broth to thin it out. Taste, and add more salt or soy sauce as desired.
  • Ladle into serving bowls, and top with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro and some diced red onion. Serve with corn chips or corn muffins.

Notes

  • Chili powder in the US is a spice blend made from multiple varieties of ground chiles plus other herbs and spices like paprika, cumin and garlic. DO NOT substitute pure ground chilis or your chili will be crazy hot. We recommend trying to find a blend you like that's salt free (then you can control the salt level yourself).
  • Black garlic powder is made from fermented garlic and really isn't comparable with regular garlic powder. I'd recommend trying to find some for this recipe!