Pumpkin Chili

By Alqualonde

Our meat-eating friends never notice the lack of animal protein in my pumpkin chili. It can easily be made vegan, too, by adding extra olive oil to replace the butter, and serving dairy-free toppings in place of the cheddar cheese and sour cream, or skipping them entirely

Ingredients

• 3-pound 3-pound pie pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash such as butternut, Red Kuri, or Golden Hubbard
• 2 2 3/4 medium turnips, about 3/4 pound
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 2 2 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 1 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 6 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 2 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 4 4 cups vegetarian broth
• 2 10-ounce 2 10-ounce 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel
• 2 16-ounce 2 16-ounce 16-ounce cans chili beans, drained
• 2 2 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 1 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1 1 teaspoon cumin
• Several dashes Several dashes vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• to and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• to vinegar, to taste
• to green onions, to serve
• to cheddar cheese, to serve
• to cream, to serve

Details

Adapted from thekitchn.com

Preparation

Step 1

Peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into 1-inch pieces. To make it easier to peel the pumpkin, cut in half then microwave each half for 5 minutes, cut side down in a shallow dish of water, or roast the halves at 450°F for about 15 minutes. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, cut it in half and shave off the skin with a sharp knife. Remove the seeds and set aside for later use. (See our directions here on how to roast pumpkin and squash seeds.)

Peel the turnips and cut into 1-inch pieces.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (it should hold at least 6 quarts), heat the butter and olive oil. When hot, whisk in the cornmeal until smooth, then stir in the chopped pumpkin, turnip, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Add the broth, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn. Stir in the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring back to a simmer then reduce the heat and cook for at least 1 hour, or until the pumpkin and turnip are tender. (It gets even better if simmered longer — a whole afternoon, if you have the time.)

Before serving taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Serve hot with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chili: Substitute olive oil for the butter and offer dairy-free toppings to make the chili vegan. The chili is naturally gluten-free, as long as all prepared ingredients are gluten-free.