Butternut Squash Chickpea Chili – The Almond Eater

Oh, how I love butternut squash, chickpeas, and chili! Put ‘em all together in a pot, and you get one of my favorite cozy meals of all time: my Butternut Squash Chickpea Chili!

This is one of those really easy vegetarian chili recipes you can make on repeat during fall and winter. A handful of simple ingredients, like classic chili seasonings, adobo sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes, bring the bold flavors, while butternut squash and chickpeas make every bite feel wholesome. It comes together in a flash on the stove, but when you’d rather keep your hands free, you can toss everything in a slow cooker instead.

Now I know all chili recipes are cozy, but this one is a step above the rest because it’s topped with mac and cheese! Yes, I mean it. Real mac and cheese (my cottage cheese mac and cheese is my top pick) is piled on top for an unforgettable boost of comforting cheesiness.

Chickpea Chili Ingredients

Butternut squash – You can save a lot of time by buying pre-cubed butternut squash rather than peeling and cubing the squash yourself. 

Chickpeas – I used 2 cans of chickpeas for convenience. Feel free to cook them from dry instead if you prefer.

Chili seasonings – The smoky, savory, and subtly spicy flavors in this butternut squash chickpea chili come from a blend of chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.

Adobo sauce – You can find cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin section of most well-stocked grocery stores. The sauce gives the chili a lot more nuance, so the flavors never fall flat. You’ll probably end up with leftover sauce/peppers, which you can use in my chipotle chicken or crockpot beef tacos recipes.

Tomatoes – I used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes for a little more flavor. Plain diced tomatoes work, too.

Mac and cheese – An unorthodox chili ingredient, right? Wrong! I topped the chili with a heaping scoop of mac and cheese because it’s just plain delicious. Use store-bought mac and cheese, or make my easy microwave mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese, or butternut squash mac and cheese if you have leftover squash to use up.

This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.

Variations

• Squash substitutions – Swap the butternut squash for one large cubed sweet potato or a cubed sugar pumpkin instead.
• Instead of chickpeas, make the chili with cannellini beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, or black beans. 
• Adobo sauce substitute – If you can’t find adobo or don’t have any on hand, harissa paste will work, too.
• Add meat – You can add cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or your favorite chili protein for an extra hearty meal.
• Mild chili – Reduce the adobo sauce to 1 tablespoon. If you don’t want it to be spicy at all, reduce the chili powder and paprika to 1/4 teaspoon as well.
• Spicy chili – Sauté 1 jalapeno (seeds and veins removed) or 1 or 2 chipotle peppers from the can of adobo sauce with the onion. Also, top the chili with my spicy-ish buffalo mac and cheese!

How to Make Butternut Squash Chickpea Chili

Step 1: Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the onion in a large oiled pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt, and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the adobo sauce.

Step 2: Simmer. Heat the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. 

Step 3: Make mac and cheese. While the chili is simmering, cook your favorite mac and cheese.

Step 4: Top and serve. Divide the chickpea chili into bowls and top with a scoop of mac and cheese, plus your other desired toppings. Serve and enjoy!

Erin’s Tips and Tricks

• If you plan on making this with dry chickpeas, remember to soak and cook them in advance.
• You can add even more vegetables to the chili if you want. Cork kernels, diced bell peppers, and chopped leafy greens would all be great.
• The slow cooker version will work in a 4.5-quart or larger pot.
• If you’re craving chili mac and cheese instead, serve a scoop of the leftover chili over a bowl of mac and cheese!

Storage

Refrigerator: After it cools, transfer the chili to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. I keep my leftovers in individual containers for easy-to-reheat lunches.

Freezer: Leftover butternut squash chili also freezes well for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating: Zap individual servings in the microwave (stirring every 30 seconds until warmed through) or reheat a larger batch in a large pot on the stove.