Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado

This chili is hearty and full of protein which will keep you full. The mix of spices and fresh flavors will make you glad that you have leftovers.

Adapted from Cookie and Kate. 

Ingredients:

-1 medium red onion, chopped

-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 green bell pepper, chopped

-1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-ground sea salt

-1 teaspoon ground cumin

-1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo

-1 bay leaf

-¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

-14-ounce can diced tomatoes, including the liquid

-2 cans, rinsed and drained

-2 cups vegetable broth

-2 avocados, diced

In a large soup pot, sautée the chopped vegetables (onion, bell peppers, butternut squash, garlic) in one to two tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Stir frequently to make sure the ingredients get cooked through.

Once the onions start turning translucent, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add all of the spices (salt, cumin, bay leaf, cinnamon) and canned ingredients (chipotle pepper in adobo, diced tomatoes, black beans, veggie broth), and stir. Cover for about one hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with diced avocado. 

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this, however, I loved it. The fresh avocado added a nice creamy element to the chili and helped to round out the spiciness. Dave thought adding the squash to the chili would make it sweeter, but the chipotle with adobo's heat and smokiness counterbalanced the sweetness making for a really great vegetarian chili.