Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chili

Category: Entrees & sides
Difficulty: Moderate
Servings: Approximately 10 cups

1 3

We all know how important comfort food is during the colder months, and having a painless, time-saving recipe is, presumably, equally important. Chili is unmistakably known to be one of the ultimate comfort foods, even without the carne! Chili con carne is said to have originated in Texas during the 1800’s with chocolate, coffee, oregano, and of course, chillies, being the key original flavors. This meatless marvel captures the essence of chocolate and chillies with Teeccino Maca Chocolaté herbal coffee. Colorful, fragrant, and warming, this chili is healthy and packed with flavor and is just as filling as its meatier mainstay. Whether you opt for jalapeños for a brighter taste or shishito peppers for a more smoky chili, the result is a vegetarian crowd-pleaser that will, in all likelihood, become a staple family meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into ½ inch cubes
2 15oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
5-6 shishito peppers, sliced, with seeds (or 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced small. Note: Shishitos will add more smokiness and jalapeno will add more brightness and more heat! Use both, if desired.)
1 14oz can of San Marzano Roma or plum tomatoes, in sauce
1 cup strong brewed [Teeccino Maca Chocolate Chicory Herbal Coffee]
1 cup unfiltered organic apple juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
2 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 tsp cumin seed, toasted and ground fine (ground cumin is acceptable!)
2 15oz cans of black beans drained and rinsed

Teeccino Maca Chocolate Herbal Tea & Coffee

We made this recipe with Teeccino Maca Chocolaté, an inspired beverage of the New World that combines traditional superfoods from the Incas, the Maya, and the Aztecs. Featuring red, black and yellow maca (Peru’s energizing adaptogenic herb) blended with roasted ramón seeds, cocoa and chilies, Maca Chocolate will provide just the right amount of stimulation for a fully energized day!

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Instructions

Prep Time: 20 Minutes , Cook Time: 45 Minutes , Calories per serving:230

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic and shishito peppers and cook over medium-high heat until the onions become translucent and start browning. Season with 1 tsp salt and black pepper.
Add the butternut squash and cook until everything begins to caramelize.
Meanwhile, toast 1-2 tsp cumin seeds over medium heat until aromatic, then grind in a coffee grinder. If using pre-ground cumin seed, add to the mix along with the other spices.
Add the spices to the pot to toast while stirring to coat the vegetables. Watch the heat and be careful not to burn the spices.
Add the canned tomatoes, breaking them apart with your stirring spoon.
Add the tomato paste, the brewed Teeccino, and apple juice, then bring everything up to a slow boil.
Simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
Add the beans and adjust the seasonings according to your liking.
Continue simmering for another 15 minutes or so.
Serve the chili with your favorite toppings! (Try a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onion with some homemade cornbread or warm, crispy tortilla chips, Yum!)