Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado

Healthy, spicy, and sweet vegetarian chili is made from butternut squash and black beans. Choose a thick avocado for easy dishes that satisfy vegans, carnivores and gluten-free eaters.

This recipe serves 3 to 4. This chili is very tasty, but don't hesitate to add more tomato or vegetable broth if you want to thin it a little. Duplicate recipes for the crowd.

Fall in the air, like they say. The green leaf has just approved the change of seasons throughout its housing estate; my nose followed it with a nonstop sneeze. It's a very strange transition period I was never sure what to wear: shorts now, or sweaters for later? And what do I cook: the last tomato or the sweet potato? We will be wrapped in scarves, pumpkin crafts, and Halloween costume crafts before we realize it. I can not wait.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 small butternut flask (1½ pounds or less), peeled and cut into ½ inches
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• ½ + tablespoon of chopped chipotle pepper in adobo * (start with ½ tablespoon and add more to taste, I think I'm right with 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and dried, or 3 cups cooked black beans
• 1 small diced tomato (14 ounces), including liquid **
• 2 cups of vegetable broth (or one 14-ounce can)
• Salt to taste
• 2 Avocados From Mexico, diced
• 3 corn tortillas for crispy chunks (or a substitute for crushed tortilla chips)
• Optional extra decoration: chopped coriander leaves and/or red chili flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven or stockpot 4 to 6 liters over medium heat, warm the olive oil until it sparkles. Add the onion, paprika and butternut pumpkin and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent.
2. Reduce medium-low heat and add garlic, chili powder, ½ tablespoon of chopped chipotle paprika, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bay leaves, black beans, tomatoes, and their juices and stock. Stir to mix and close for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste halfway through cooking and add more chopped peppers if you want.
3. You will know that your chili is ripe when the butternut squash is tasty and tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, resulting in a consistency of warm chilies that we all know and like. Lift bay leaves and add salt to taste.
4. To make crispy chunks: arrange corn tortillas and cut them into small thin pieces, about 2 inches long by ¼ inches long. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it sparkles. Stir in slices of tortilla, sprinkle with salt and stir. Cook until the pieces are crisp and turn golden, stirring occasionally about 4 to 7 minutes. Remove the tortilla pieces from the pan and drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.
5. Serve chilies in individual bowls, with diced chunks of tortillas and diced avocados. I add a little sprinkling of red pepper (optional). Cilantro will be fun too. You might want to serve this along with the spicy chipotle sauce (Tobasco makes one) for spice addicts like me.

NOTE

* CHIPOTLE IN ADOBO SAUCE is usually found in the grocery store section of Mexico. I never needed the whole can at once, so I used what I needed and then moved the rest to a small freezer bag, pressing it flat before freezing it. Then, I can do as much as I need later.
** SEARCH FOR CPA FREE diced tomatoes if possible. Canned Muir Glen canned tomatoes are BPA free.
ON REST OF FOOD: This chili is very hot. Avocado and crispy tortilla chips must be added after heating, just before serving. These tortilla strips tend to lose crisp from time to time, so you can a) skip them altogether, b) produce more before serving or c) replace a small handful of crushed tortilla chips instead!

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