Hub’s Butternut Squash, Black Bean and Beef Chili is a healthy and comforting fall soup recipe. It makes for a dinner packed with fiber, nutrients & spices to warm you from inside out on any chilly evening!
I love that the hubs is a good cook and likes to cook too 🙂 I guess it goes with the territory since he runs a restaurant. And don’t get me wrong there are times that he absolutely wants nothing to do with getting back in the kitchen after a long day at the restaurant…but there are days that he will text me and ask what the dinner plans are and if I answer that I haven’t really made any or maybe I just laid out something before I came to work but have no idea what I am going to do with it, he quickly volunteers to put something together 🙂 Just one of the many things I love about him <3 <3 <3
That is exactly how this Butternut Squash, Black Bean and Beef Chili recipe came into our lives! He offered to cook one evening and I had already laid out ground beef for dinner. The weather was just beginning to have the faintest amount of chill in it (well for South Georgia) and he was in the mood for a soup. I happened to have an extra butternut squash at the house from another recipe that I was putting together (you will see that one soon and just let me tell you that it was a winner…wink, wink). He asked me if that “light orange thing” in the kitchen was a butternut squash (I laughed) and then confirmed that it was. He had found this recipe for Butternut Squash Chili with Beef from Taste and Tell Blog that he wanted to try out.
Did you notice these cute little bowls that I used in the pictures? They are actually found in Chris’s grandfather’s Florida house by his mother and given to us! I just love the blue color and almost rustic look of them, don’t you? I think that they give a nice contrast to the orange color of this soup/chili, so I am really glad that I have them in my food photography collection 🙂
Here is your recipe for Hub’s Butternut Squash, Black Bean and Beef Chili:
- 1 (approximately 2 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces (see instructions or an easy way to prep the squash)
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large, yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large bell pepper (your choice of red, yellow, orange or green), chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 - 1½ lbs. 93% lean ground beef
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. hot sauce (your favorite variety - I used Cholula)
- 2 -3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (more or less depending on how thick you like your chili)
- 1 (15 oz.) can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes, with liquid
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder (more or less depending on taste)
- 1 tsp. ancho chili powder (more or less depending on taste)
- 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tbsp. cornmeal (more or less depending on how thick you like your chili)
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.
- Poke several holes on all sides of each butternut squash.
- Slice the top and bottom off of each squash, place in the microwave and cooks for 5 minutes.
- Let squash cool to the touch and then carefully peel using a vegetable peeler or knife.
- Cut squash open, scoop out pulp and seeds and chop into cubes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Once hot add onions, bell pepper and garlic, Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion and bell pepper begin to soften.
- Add ground beef to the dutch oven and cook to brown the meat. Break up the meat as it cooks and ensure that there is no pink remaining.
- Add tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds, then add hot sauce.
- Add 2 cups of beef broth, black beans, tomatoes, cumin, chili powders, oregano and cornmeal. Stir to combine.
- Add butternut squash pieces and give the chili a good stir.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for approximately 30-45 minutes or until the squash is tender. Depending on how much time you have, the longer you let the chili simmer, the better it gets 🙂
- During the time that the chili is simmering, stir every 10 minutes or so and check the liquid levels. If it gets too thick or dry add more beef broth. If it is too thin, you can add a little more cornmeal.
- Once the squash is tender, give a final check to the seasoning and thickness of the chili.
- Serve hot and enjoy!!
I like to use a dutch oven for this recipe. Here is the one that I have and love (note: the following link is an amazon affiliate link – just click on the picture to be redirected to the dutch oven. BTW…they make great holiday gifts too):