black bean squash chili
Chili has always been my thing. When I was in college, after a summer break at home, Mom would always make me chili as my last meal before heading back to campus. Why did I always choose this dish? Well, it’s so homey, cozy, and hearty!
I still make chili all the time, but it’s become my new thing to switch it up and experiment with different flavor profiles while still retaining that classic idea of “chili.” This black bean and squash variety rates pretty high if I do say so myself. Dried beans are worth the extra effort and the resulting chili hits the spot on a cool crisp night!
Ingredients:
• 1 cup dried black beans
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crushed
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup chopped poblano pepper (or pepper of choice)
• 2 cups diced winter squash
• 3 cups tomato purée
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions:
• In a 5-quart stockpot, soak the dried beans in water, covering by 2 inches. Soak for 8-12 hours. After the beans are soaked, drain them.
• To the beans, add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beans are tender and creamy, about 30-45 minutes.
• While the beans are cooking, in an 8-quart stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and salt. Saute until softened and translucent, 3-5 minutes.
• Add cumin, Mexican oregano, and chili powder. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add chopped pepper, tomato purée, and squash. If the mixture seems thick, add ½ cup water. Bring it to a simmer.
• Add the chicken breasts by nestling them into the soup. Cover and cook.
• While the chicken is cooking, check the beans. When they’re tender, add the beans and their cooking liquid to the chili with the chicken. Stir and continue to cook until the squash is easily pierced with a knife, and the chicken registers 160°F.
• When the chicken is done, remove it from the chili, and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the chili.
• Serve the chili hot with sliced avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or anything else desired.
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