Any time I can put loads of veggies in a pot and call the end result a delicious gluten-free meal everyone at my table will devour, I’m in! That’s exactly what this Pumpkin Veggie Chili recipe is – a way to get lots of veggies together and end up with one of the best-tasting complete meals you’ve ever had.
The pumpkin, it’s not just an autumn afterthought, either. I add it for texture and for an underlying earthy sweetness the chili really needed. Feel free to mix and match the vegetables to suit your tastes. While the chili cooks, be sure to make the gluten-free cornbread so it’ll be piping hot at the table. :)
This recipe was inspired by “That Chili with the Mushrooms” by Shirley at gluten free easily.
Pumpkin Veggie Chili
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups chopped sweet peppers (use green, orange, yellow, red – whatever you have on hand)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups chopped Portabella mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas)
- 2 – 3 cups cooked lentils
- 2 – 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 28-ounce can organic diced tomatoes with liquid
- ½ cup chopped tomatillos (I omit these when there aren’t any in the garden)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (I use canned organic)
- 1 minced chipotle (or jalapeno) pepper, optional
- 2 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (I do not use canned beans – I cook mine unsalted, so my chili needs the extra salt. If you use canned beans, do not add this.)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large stock pot.
- Add onion, carrots, celery and pepper – sautee until tender.
- Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Add mushrooms, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomatillos, pumpkin, chipotle pepper, and seasonings.
- Cover and simmer for 2 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Alternatively, you can use your slow cooker: after adding the garlic, add mushrooms and sautee for a few minutes.
- Add the sautéed veggies from your stock pot and the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or for 7 hours on low.
- To give the chili a thicker consistency, I blend approximately half of it – you can use an immersion blender or transfer some of the chili to your food processor and pulse 6 or 7 times. (If you transfer to a food processor, make sure you allow the chili to cool to room temperature before processing.)
- Transfer blended chili back to pot with non-blended chili and give a good stir.
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