butternut squash and black bean chili with greek yogurt and lime
The inspiration for this chili was easy. It was -7 degrees outside and the only thing stopping me from climbing into our wood stove (and risking third degree burns or even death) was to take a safer and more rational approach to warming up. I layered on long johns, slippers, and my favorite winter hat and got to work in the kitchen. This chili saved my life.
Tumbleweed Farm is currently resting under snow and below freezing temperatures. It is beautiful around here however, IT.IS.COLD!
Even Henry doesn’t like to be outside for very long. We take short walks to check in on things and throw his ball around but that’s about it.
Our new house on Tumbleweed Farm is a bit quirky. And when I say “quirky” I mean really quirky. It’s very non traditional and the majority of the house is a workshop (which is awesome to store farm equipment in.) However, our only source of heat (aside form a small electric unit in our bedroom) is our wood stove. We have been burning some really crappy wood that we have cut down from the property and it hasn’t been doing the trick. Taylor and I have been sleeping in our winter coats, mittens, hats, and socks. The other night we could see our own breath from the bedroom. Taylor tried to make me feel better by saying “we love camping in the winter. This is basically the same thing!” Needless to say that did’t help. I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes in our own house. Things were not looking good there for a minute.
We knew we needed to get our hands on some good quality firewood and forget about all of the crap we were cutting down from the farm. As luck would have it, my parents got wind of our “chilly” situation and bought Taylor and me some local firewood as an early Christmas present. We loaded up as soon as possible. Thanks mom and dad! We can finally feel our fingers and toes again!
A few truckloads later and we have quite a bit of wood to get us through. Thank god!
We also have plenty of leftover chili to keep us going strong for a few days. I hope wherever you all are this post finds you warm and cozy. If not, whip up a double batch of this chili. It will keep you warm during the toughest of times! If you are sensitive to spice add less spice at first and taste test until you get the right amount of spice for you. Remember, the longer the chili cooks the more time the flavors have to come together. This always tastes best after a few hours of cooking however, it can be eaten as soon as 30 minutes and still taste amazing. Dig in!
Spicy Butternut Squash Chili With Greek Yogurt and Lime
Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 30-45 mins Serves: 4-6
- 2 TBS grapeseed oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño Pepper, seeded and diced1 medium sized butternut squash. Peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
- 2 (15 oz) cans organic diced tomatoes with their juices
- 4-5 cups veggie stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- A few dollops of greek yogurt
- Juice from 1 lime
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Diced cilantro
Preparation
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño pepper. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add butternut squash, spices, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 more minute stirring often.
- Add beans and tomatoes. Stir. Add veggie stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Taste test and add any more spices you think necessary. (The longer the soup simmers the stronger the flavors)
- Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, cilantro, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.
I’m glad you are feeling cosier now! It is the start of a long hot summer here in Australia, but I am tucking this recipe safely away for when the winter winds begin to blow again 🙂
I’m jealous that you are starting summer!
yes, chili is totally necessary in this weather (and it’s not AS cold here, but still). I’m usually partial to beef chili, but this looks pretty amazing… I think butternut squash could be a reasonable replacement! and I love the addition of yogurt, lime and cilantro!
The yogurt and lime was a great addition!
Sounds amazing! This is going to be dinner tonight!
This looks so yummy! I’m making it for dinner tonight!
Let me know how it turns out!
Okay, I adore how you dressed this up. You know, I’ve subbed Greek yogurt for sour cream in many recipes but I’ve never considered topping my chili with that instead of sour cream. Duh me! This chili looks fabulous all around, but the toppings make me happy. 🙂 Stay warm!
Thanks! Lime and yogurt go really well together! Stay warm too
That view just takes my breath away. Gorgeous!
Sleeping in your winter coat and being able to see your breath? That sounds like torture!! I’m glad your parents pulled through with some firewood.
This chili does look like a fantastic way to warm up. I’ll be saving this to save my life on a cold day this winter too! 🙂
Hey Andrea, I made your spicy sweet potato and black bean stew yesterday and it is DELICIOUS! Very similar to the recipe you posted today. We had 32 degrees and freezing rain all day in NC – not as cold as you but I’d rather have snow! Your stew was/is perfect and I plan to also try today’s chili very soon. Stay warm and cozy!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that stew! This is very similar but equally tasty! Thanks for the lovely comment.
Sounds very cold there at the moment! Chili is the perfect comforting food, and this one looks delicious!
Andrea — a friend shared your blog, and we have been working our way through your soups here on Vashon. curry cauliflower and chickpea was tonight!
Your story reminds me of out own when we move to Vashon– wood heat, crappy wood from our property. But it gets better, I promise. Keep up the work and thanks for the recipes!
Hey Brad,
Thanks for you lovely comment. I hope you continue to enjoy the soups this winter! Stay warm.
Make this right now! It’s great! The spices are perfect!
I made the spicy butternut squash chili and we loved it . Very yummy! I also made the butternut squash pizza with kale. I look forward to your recipes every day. I am a personal trainer and love your recipes and have shared them with many of my clients? Many love the quina with coconut milk and banana and raisins a great winter breakfast. Angie
Made this recipe tonight and it was great! Glad to have found it via Pinterest.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoy more farm fresh recipes from the site!
Yum! I have to admit, I was skeptical that my family would go for this as I made it, but the lime juice and cilantro really pulled the flavors together. It’s a keeper for sure. A couple teensy suggestions… pretty sure this calls for lime since it’s in the photo and ingredients, but in the directions it says lemon. Also, would love to see the ingredients list in the order they are used in the recipe. Makes it a little easier to follow. Thanks for a great recipe! Found you via an Oh My Veggies! meal plan.
So happy you loved this too! Thanks for the tips. Over the past year I’ve listed my ingredients in the order they are used in the recipe (this is an older recipe) however, thanks for the heads up. I just updated the steps/ingredients. Thanks again!!!
The recipe is missing the black bean ingredient for the chili.
Hi there-the beans are in fact in the recipe but for some reason the type is smaller (and harder to read) I’m trying to figure out the issue but with no luck. However, the beans are there–2 (15 oz) cans. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! cheers