Chili is a favorite dish to make when the cool temps kick in, just in time for Football Season.
This Pumpkin Black Bean Chili is a delicious Fall twist with a pleasant surprise – besides a kick-up in nutrition.
Our family loves to enjoy traditional meat chili and our Black Bean Chili to fill up with a warm bowl of comfort on any cold fall or winter day. But, this recipe adds a new level of flavor.
The pumpkin craze is a good thing
This mighty fruit is a definite ingredient to add to your plate, offering vitamins C, A, and E.
Pumpkin is also loaded with nutrients like fiber, which is beneficial for gut health – something we need to pay attention to in our gluten-free lifestyle.
Cooking and baking with pumpkin is an easy way to add a lot of health to your plate. (Check out what Dr. Josh Axe shares about pumpkin benefits.)
You can add or omit the potatoes in this one. If you want a heartier Chili, go ahead and add them.
Our pumpkin black bean chili is a definite dish to add to your fall meal schedule to help boost your family’s nutrition!
Let’s Make Chili
Before getting started, decide how you will prepare your beans.
You have a few choices:
- To reduce the gassiness of the beans: Rinse the beans and place them in a bowl with a bay leaf or piece of kambu. Cover with water and let sit overnight. Rinse, discard the bay leaf or kombu, and add to the chili.
- Rinse the beans and place them in a medium pot. Fill with water and add a bay leaf or piece of kombu. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Rinse, then add to the chili.
- Simply rinse the beans from the can and add to the chili.
While the beans are boiling, chop up your onion and add it to a large soup pot on medium heat with a dash of olive oil.
Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the pot, stirring all together.
Let this cook down for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
You can add the beans to the pot now, or wait until the potatoes cook a bit. Either way will work out fine.
Next add in your crushed or diced tomatoes and pumpkin puree. Stir all to combine.
Then add about 1 cup of water as this will be a very thick mixture. Don’t overdo the water as you may quickly turn this into soup!
You want this to be a thick, hearty mixture when cooked.
Next prepare all of your flavorful spices and garlic. Add them to the pot and stir to combine.
Allow the pot to come to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Stir often, and add more water if necessary.
This gluten-free pumpkin chili is a hearty dish served on its own.
Or serve over brown rice, pasta or sautéed greens, with a zucchini muffin or our gluten-free pumpkin muffin on the side.
Give the recipe a try and let us know what you think!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
- 2 medium-sized red potatoes
- 2 15 oz. cans of organic black beans
- 1 28 oz. can of diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can of organic pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsps. chili powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- dash sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsps. Olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the beans: You have 3 options:Rinse the canned black beans well and place in a bowl. Add one piece of Kombu, or a bay leaf, to the bowl and set aside for about two hours, or overnight, prior to making the Chili.Or, you can boil the beans in water with an added bay leaf or piece of kombu for 20 minutes to minimize the gassiness of the beans. Alternately, you could rinse the beans and add them right to the Chili if you so desire.
- Place a splash of olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot.
- Dice the onion. Turn the pot on medium heat, add the onion, cooking about 3-5 minutes before adding the potatoes.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and potatoes. Add them to the pot.
- Add the can of tomatoes to the pot and stir. Next, add the can of pumpkin to the pot and mix to combine.
- Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Add the garlic to the pot along with all of the spices.
- Add one cup of water to the pot as this will be a thick mixture. You need more moisture to cook the potatoes, or thin this down a little without the potatoes.
- Let the mixture come to a boil, then turn down to medium-low heat.The potatoes need about 20-25 minutes to soften. Keep an eye on the liquid level so it doesn’t go down too much. You may need to add a bit more water, but be careful not to add too much, or you may end up with soup.Watch the pot and stir every few minutes.
- Add the beans to the pot about 10 minutes after the potatoes were added. Add more water if needed, again not too much, this should be a nice thick chili.Let this simmer about 30 minutes, on low heat.
- This is a hearty dish served alone. Or serve over brown rice, pasta or sautéed greens, add a zucchini muffin or pumpkin muffin on the side.
Notes
Learn to have a delicious gluten-free dinner
on the table every night!
Check out Jennifer’s Cooking Classes, or reach out to see how Jennifer
teaches how to cook gluten-free in your kitchen.
