Vegetarian Chili (with Butternut Squash and Carrots)
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 12
Ingredients
Squash (one medium/large)Corn (one can)Salsa (about a kilo or 2 lbs)Beans any kind (One can)Bay leaves (2 or 3)Carrots (4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced) One package taco seasoningpinch of sugar or splenda (to taste)
You'll need two pots. One large soup pot for chili and one smaller pot to boil veggies and make them soft.
Cut the squash in half and spoon out the seeds and discard. Cut into strips and then cut the strips into cubes about 1/2 inch squares. Throw the squash into the smaller pot and fill with hot water until the top is just covered. (I like to use my plug in rapid boiler for instant boiling water, but if you don't have one you'll just have to wait for it to boil)
Boil for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
While the squash is boiling, peel and cut the carrots into slices. After the pumpkin is boiled, drain the water and put the pumpkin in the big pot. Add the carrots to the small pot and boil them as well until soft, maybe 5-10 minutes.
When they are soft, drain the water and throw them in the big pot with the pumpkin. Open the cans of beans and corn, do not drain. Throw them in the big pot with the watery stuff too. Pour in the salsa. Add the bay leaves and seasoning. You can also add a little water if you like a more soupy chili, I like it thick myself. Stir and simmer on med/low heat as long as you need to. Minumum 20 minutes Maximum 5 hours. Taste it, if it tastes too salty add some sugar until it tastes good. If it tastes too sweet add some salt or vinegar and it will even out. (I know it sounds weird but trust me.)
This is also good for the slow cooker, but then you don't need to precook the squash and carrots, they get soft enough with slow cooking.
Feel free to play around with this, I sometimes add other veggies when I feel like it, peppers or baby corn or sometimes turnips/radish (they take on the flavor of whatever you're cooking so they bulk up the recipe without adding calories!) Sometimes I add more beans and eat it over a pile of cooked carrots like a sauce. You can also add low fat cheese sprinkles on top, or add (browned and drained) ground turkey for more protein and a non-vegetarian version!
Serving Size: Makes 12 1 cup servings (enough to freeze for later)
Number of Servings: 12
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JOSKATE.
Cut the squash in half and spoon out the seeds and discard. Cut into strips and then cut the strips into cubes about 1/2 inch squares. Throw the squash into the smaller pot and fill with hot water until the top is just covered. (I like to use my plug in rapid boiler for instant boiling water, but if you don't have one you'll just have to wait for it to boil)
Boil for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
While the squash is boiling, peel and cut the carrots into slices. After the pumpkin is boiled, drain the water and put the pumpkin in the big pot. Add the carrots to the small pot and boil them as well until soft, maybe 5-10 minutes.
When they are soft, drain the water and throw them in the big pot with the pumpkin. Open the cans of beans and corn, do not drain. Throw them in the big pot with the watery stuff too. Pour in the salsa. Add the bay leaves and seasoning. You can also add a little water if you like a more soupy chili, I like it thick myself. Stir and simmer on med/low heat as long as you need to. Minumum 20 minutes Maximum 5 hours. Taste it, if it tastes too salty add some sugar until it tastes good. If it tastes too sweet add some salt or vinegar and it will even out. (I know it sounds weird but trust me.)
This is also good for the slow cooker, but then you don't need to precook the squash and carrots, they get soft enough with slow cooking.
Feel free to play around with this, I sometimes add other veggies when I feel like it, peppers or baby corn or sometimes turnips/radish (they take on the flavor of whatever you're cooking so they bulk up the recipe without adding calories!) Sometimes I add more beans and eat it over a pile of cooked carrots like a sauce. You can also add low fat cheese sprinkles on top, or add (browned and drained) ground turkey for more protein and a non-vegetarian version!
Serving Size: Makes 12 1 cup servings (enough to freeze for later)
Number of Servings: 12
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JOSKATE.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 100.1
- Total Fat: 0.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 461.5 mg
- Total Carbs: 21.2 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
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