Pumpkin Chili

Now, I'll be honest -- I'd never even heard of pumpkin chili until yesterday afternoon. During my lunch break, I research recipes on the web . . . and it was while I was doing so that this thought popped into my head: pumpkin in chili might just work!

So, I Google-d it, and -- surely enough -- pumpkin chili has been made before.

After finding a rather meaty recipe, I then sped to the grocery store to buy supplies. What I like most about chili is that it's a hearty meal in itself, while also being absolutely PERFECT for autumn and inexpensive. I don't even need to go into why it's great to save money right now. Right? Walking the aisles yesterday . . . well, I realized how horribly expensive food has become.

Anyway, a lot of what goes into this recipe is canned. Including beer (well, bottled, that is). I love cooking with unexpected ingredients like beer. If you'd like a more G-rated recipe -- feel free to substitute 1 cup of vegetable stock. And you may also want to add some additional fall spices, like nutmeg, cinnamon, etc . . . for that more fall-like taste.


What you'll need . . .

• 1 cooking onion, chopped
• 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cans diced tomatoes – and please do not drain
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 can dark kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 cup beer (I used Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• Salt & pepper (to taste) 
  

Method . . .

1. Toss onion and bell pepper to a large soup pot (with a bit of vegetable oil), cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
   
2. Add tomatoes and their juices, beans, pumpkin, beer and spices -- EVERYTHING into the pot.
   
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer for approximately 1 hour.

It's that easy. My husband and I each had a healthy serving last night, and still have more than enough to stuff ourselves with tonight! So, try it out -- you'll be adding it to your usual meal rotation in no time.



Pumpkin Chili is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to the RSS feed). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.