Description
This vegetarian pumpkin poblano chili is a cozy one-pot meal packed with black beans, kidney beans, poblano peppers, pumpkin puree, corn, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Smoked paprika, chili powder, and a touch of dark chocolate add rich, smoky depth to this hearty fall chili that is ready in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
Units
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- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- Sea salt, to taste
- 2 small sweet red peppers, or 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium poblano peppers, diced (seeds removed for less spicy)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn, or 1 1/2 cups fresh corn from 3-4 cobs
- 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1.5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- Your favorite chili toppings, like shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven with at least a 3.5 quart capacity over medium heat. Add the olive oil and once it shimmers, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the onions begin to turn golden and are just beginning to caramelize around the edges (about 8 minutes).
- Add the diced sweet peppers (or bell pepper), poblano, and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly, until the peppers have softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in the chili powder (use 1 tablespoon for less spicy and 2 tablespoons for more spicy), smoked paprika, cinnamon, and oregano. Cook for 1 additional minute then add the vegetable broth, drained beans, corn, the whole can of fire roasted tomatoes including the juice, the pumpkin puree, the chopped dark chocolate, and a big pinch of salt (about ¾ to 1 teaspoon).
- Stir to combine then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the chili for 25-30 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Taste the chili, add more salt as needed, then serve. Add your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within a week. Reheat leftovers in a pot on the stove over medium or in the microwave.
- Leftovers can also be frozen! Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- For a less spicy chili, use 1 tablespoon of chili powder and leave out the seeds of the poblano. For a more spicy chili, include the seeds from the poblano, use 2 tablespoons of chili powder, and add cayenne pepper to taste.
- The darker the chocolate the better! Make sure to use a chopped dark chocolate bar, not chocolate chips, as it will melt and incorporate into the chili much easier. If you’re vegan, make sure to use a vegan friendly dark chocolate.
- There’s no need to thaw the frozen corn before adding it to the chili. If you prefer to use fresh corn, you’ll need about 3-4 cobs to yield enough for the recipe. You can also use a drained can of corn if you happen to have one in your pantry.
- Once you cover the pot and reduce the heat, the 25-30 minutes of cooking time allows the chili to fully heat through and the flavors to mingle and develop.
- If you want a smokier flavor, I recommend charring the sweet peppers and poblano peppers first. You can see how to do that in this recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Dinner