Spicy Soy-rizo and Acorn Squash Chili

It’s squash season people, and while many of us associate this with our sturdiest kitchen knife jammed into the butternut on our counter like sword in the stone, you gotta love a soft roasted acorn with coconut oil and brown sugar that melts in your mouth. I scored a nice deal on squash at the farmer’s market and got a little carried away so I did my best to stuff it into everything, including this spicy soy-rizo and acorn squash chili. I whipped up a batch of this chili last week and froze it before the Thanksgiving holiday and super glad I did. I got home yesterday evening after traveling and spending the last few days with my parents and had zeroooo motivation to cook. Thanks to microwaves, I had dinner in all of 5 minutes. If you are starting from scratch, you can make this hearty chili in only 45 minutes. 

Aside from being absolutely exhausted from Thanksgiving and traveling, it was really great to see some friends I haven’t seen in a while and relax. By relax, I mean stay up way too late watching Grey’s Anatomy and then falling asleep on my mom’s couch because I was snuggling with the dog and didn’t want to get up. It only happened 2/3 nights, okay?

So about this chili. I have fooled a few people in my day with this soy chorizo from Trader Joes. The texture is on point and with the right spices you can convince just about anyone that it’s the real thing, except maybe a Spaniard. Speaking of Spain, my sister’s roommates have the best recipe for sangria that will top anything you’ve ever had at happy hour. I’ll have to see if they will support the cause and let me have the recipe. Stay tuned.

This chili goes really well with my easy pumpkin ciabatta or you can eat it all by itself. Enjoy!

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Spicy Soy-rizo and Acorn Squash Chili

Servings: 6 1 1/2 cup servings

Time: 45 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz package of soy chorizo sausage (as mentioned above, I get mine at Trader Joes)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 small acorn squash
• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper (add more for extra kick if desired)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 green onion stalks (for topping, if desired)

 

Directions:

1. Make your life easier and chop everything up. Mince the garlic, dice the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño, and cube the squash into 1/2″ cubes after peeling and removing the pulp. Heat 1 TBSP of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Squeeze the chorizo out of it’s casing and continue to stir as it browns.
2. After the chorizo has started to brown, add the remaining olive oil, bell pepper, garlic, onion, and jalapeño. Stir a few times to combine and allow to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Rinse and drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, cumin, and chili powder).
3. Place the lid on the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Allow the chili to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the squash is softened. It should be soft enough to pierce with a fork but not mushy. Serve hot and top with sliced green onion if desired. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 weeks.