Black Lentil & Butternut Squash Chili

Black Lentil Butternut Squash Chili 🧡 So grateful for the abundance and variety of winter squash that come with the fall season. This hearty vegetarian chili highlights a delightful and unexpected combination of winter squash, black lentils, a touch of cinnamon, and other fragrant spices. The result is surprisingly delicious and deeply satisfying.  Uncooked black lentils resemble tiny black pearls, and when paired with the vibrant orange of roasted squash, they create a bowl that’s as beautiful as it is nourishing. Black lentils are the most nutrient-dense of all lentils—packed with fiber and protein—making this chili a flavorful, energizing, and filling meal. It also freezes well, so you can make it when you’re feeling up to it and save the rest for those tougher weeks during chemo when cooking takes too much energy. 

Black Lentil & Butternut Squash Chili 

Ingredients: 

 

1 medium leek, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, chopped 

 2 celery stalks, chopped 

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium butternut squash peeled seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup black lentils, rinsed

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 & ½ cups veggie broth or filtered water

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnish: lime wedges , fresh cilantro 

 

 

Directions: 

 

1.     In a large saucepan, add a splash of water over medium heat. Add the leek, celery, carrots, garlic and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

2.     Add the butternut squash, spices, and sauté, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add the lentils, diced red pepper, diced tomatoes, broth, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring periodically, until lentil and vegetables are soft and cooked through. Add more broth if the chili is too thick. Adjust the salt and spices to taste. 

3.     Remove chili from heat and squeeze the juice of a lime into the cooked chili. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Another option is to top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.