Pumpkin, Red Bean & Coconut Cream Chili

For my very first post in almost four years I’m starting things off with the obligatory fall pumpkin recipe. This isn’t your typical pumpkin dish or your typical vegetarian chili. There is definitely a lot going on but it works. It has a great mixture of spicy, tangy and sweet like a curry with the all the spices and flavors of a chili. The coconut milk makes it rich and hearty even without the meat.

Like most soups and stews this chili is even better the next day so I like to make it the day or night before serving if possible.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. oil

1 medium yellow onion peeled and quartered

2 carrots peeled and quartered

2 garlic cloves

1 habanero pepper (you can also use jalapeno or serrano)

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. hot chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 small head of cauliflower

3 cups cubed pumpkin or squash (or one package of cubed butternut squash or pumpkin from the market. Trader Joe’s always has cut vegetables if you’re not up to wrangling a gourd)

15 oz. can Lite coconut milk

15 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

4 cups low sodium veg stock

½ cup fresh lemon juice (it needs to be fresh not bottled)

2 - 15 oz. cans kidney beans or adzuki beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 Tbsp Salt and 2 tsp pepper to taste

-TOPPINGS-

Fresh mint

Fresh Cilantro

Full fat coconut milk

Fresh lime

Diced red or green onion

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, pulse carrots 2-3 times until roughly chopped. Add the onion, garlic and habanero until roughly chopped and set aside.

Pulse cauliflower in the food processor until roughly chopped into small chunks. Fairly small but not quite cauliflower rice. Set aside.

Heat your oil In a large 8 qt soup pot and add the carrot-onion mixture. Sautee for 2 minutes before adding your spices. Stir the spices and let cook for 30 seconds or so.

Add the cauliflower and and tomato paste and cook for about a minute.

Add the tomatoes and pumpkin and cook for another minute before adding the coconut milk. Cook for another minute before adding the stock.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer the chili with the top off until vegetables are just tender. About 15 minutes. This chili is even better the next day so you really don’t want to overcook the vegetables. If they are overcooked they will be mushy after sitting in the liquid.

When the vegetables are tender add the beans and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. If you are going to eat the chili the same day let it cool and sit for a while then reheat it.

Now for the toppings -

I love fresh mint and cilantro in this chili. If you don’t like them leave them out of course but the mint is especially nice with the flavor of the coconut. I also add avocado, lime, a little dollop of coconut cream, hot sauce and onions. Feta or other kinds of cheese would be a nice addition as well.

Enjoy!