Squash Chili with Lentils
Warm up with a bowl of this hearty veggie chili. Packed with nutritional all-star lentils and fiber high butternut squash. This chunky and belly warming bowl of comfort food is perfect to enjoy throughout the week. It freezes well too!
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There is nothing more I love on a crisp fall day than a bowl of hot hearty chili. We love chili in any shape or form.
We have a classic Lentil Chili, White Chicken Chili Rice Bowl and if you’re feeling a little adventurous: White Chicken Chili with Apples. These are just a few of our favorites.
Can you blame me, though? A simmering pot of chili warms up any occasion.
Why You’ll Love this Lentil Chili Recipe:
This butternut squash chili with lentils is high in fiber and low in fat. It’s hearty, chunky, and creamy. Made with a combination of fresh and canned ingredients, as well as spices and some pantry staple items.
Such as butternut squash, bell pepper, lentils, spices, canned tomatoes, stock, and beans. I love this recipe because it’s so versatile. You can add your favorite chili add-ins for even more flavor.
Plus it stores in the fridge up to a week and freezes up to 3 months. So you can make a pot and enjoy it all week long.
Squash Chili Ingredients
What I love about this butternut squash and lentils chili is that it’s made with a combination of easy-to-find fresh ingredients, canned ingredients, and pantry items.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Yellow bell pepper
- Lentils – brown or green
- Spices – chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaf
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Chicken stock 0r veggie stock
- Butternut squash
- Beans – red kidney, black beans, or pinto beans
- Pantry staples – olive oil, salt, pepper
What Are Lentils and How Do You Cook Them?
Before we get to the recipe. Let’s talk about lentils. Because they’re truly a nutritional all-star.
Lentils are edible legume. So they’re in the same family as beans, peas, and chickpeas. Rich in fiber and high in plant-based protein. They’re affordable and cook very easily.
They come in a variety of colors, such as brown, green, yellow, red or black. I like to stick to green and brown varieties of color. It’s the most basic type of lentils and is easy to find at the grocery store.
Some recipes require you to soak lentils prior to cooking but for this butternut squash lentil chili, there is no need to soak them. They cook in about 20-30 minutes until tender.
And if you overcook them, not a problem. They might be a little mushy and to be honest, I personally prefer them that way in a chili recipe.
How to Make Chili with Lentils
Check out the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Step 1: Cook the onions, carrots, and garlic in oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften.
Step 2: Stir in the seasonings, and continue to cook until the flavors blend.
Step 3: Add the turkey meat, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and stock.
Step 4: Simmer the mixture partially covered over medium-low heat.
Step 5: Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, corn, and edamame, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Discard the bay leaves, adjust the seasonings, and serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Butternut Squash Chili Add Ins:
You can add more flavor to your chili with these flavor-boosting add-ins.
- diced green chiles
- corn
- fire-roasted tomatoes
- fresh jalapeño
- fresh lime juice
- something smoky – smoked paprika or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- chopped fresh cilantro
- pinch of red chili flakes
Optional Toppings for Serving
I love just about anything spicy so I’m always adding something spicy to give my chili a kick. You can serve the chili as is or with any of the following toppings.
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onions
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese
- Red onions
- Something spicy – red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or thinly sliced jalapeño
Tip: Create a toppings bar so everyone can add whatever they like.
How to Store Chili with Butternut Squash
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or, transfer the cooled chili to freezer-safe containers or freezer-safe bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, thaw your chili in the fridge overnight, and reheat it in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Or, warm individual portions in 30-second intervals in the microwave.
If you try lentil chili with butternut squash, please leave a star rating and a comment letting us know how you liked the recipe.
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Lentil Chili with Butternut Squash
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Warm up with a bowl of this hearty veggie chili. Packed with nutritional all-star lentils and fiber high butternut squash. It’s so cozy and belly warming good.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups dry lentils, rinsed
- 3 tsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 2 (14.5 oz.) cans no-salt diced tomatoes
- 1 dry bay leaf
- 7 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, rinsed
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Optional for Serving:
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Red onions
- Sour Cream
- Something spicy
Instructions
- In a 6-quart heavy duty stockpot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes or just until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook for about 1 minutes, stirring nonstop.
- Add tomatoes, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft around the edges but firm to bite. Liquid will also slightly reduce.
- Add butternut squash and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. You might also want to taste for salt here and add more, if needed.
- Stir in beans and cook just until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Check squash for doneness. It should be knife tender. Discard the bay leaf and serve with toppings of choice.
Notes
- Lentils: I like to use brown or green varieties of lentils. They’re the most basic type of lentils and easy to find at the store.
- Tomatoes: I prefer to use no-salt diced tomatoes as I like to control the amount of salt I add to the chili. You can certaintly use salted tomatoes. Just watch how much salt you add.
- Beans: Swap out red kidney beans for pinto or black beans.
- Extra Add-Ins: This chili is very versatile and you can add more flavor with any of these add-ins: diced green chiles, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh jalapeño, and something smoky such as smoked paprika or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- Leftovers: Leftover chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Transfer cooled chili to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 8.5 g
- Sodium: 628.8 mg
- Fat: 6.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.6 g
- Protein: 19.3 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
Originally published October 2015
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Second time making this I love it.
I have been making this chili for years! I absolutely love it so much and highly recommended to anybody who is looking for a hardy and filling chili recipe!
Wow! This is really good. I added a small amount of the chipotles peppers in adobo sauce and some smoked paprika to give it an extra punch. Just right! Used one can of red beans and one of pintos as that’s all I had in the pantry. I also roasted the butternut squash. I will definitely make this again…and again.
Easy to make, filling, & so delicious! I topped with cilantro, coconut yogurt, & diced avocado — YUM! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for a fabulous vegan dinner!
Damn! It’s looks so delicious. i will definitely try this home. Thanks for sharing this information.
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you
Delicious!!! We ate it for days!!! Is a serving one cup or 2? Trying to count macros
Hi Lori: It’s close to 2 cups. I would about 1 3/4 ? Thank you!
My vegetarian boyfriend and I (hopeless carnivore trying to dial back my consumption) agree that this is an excellent chili! We’ve had it every couple weeks since discovering the recipe. Thank you!
Thank you Karen for your feedback!
Great recipe! I made it tonight, following the recipe pretty closely, though I increased the cumin and the chile. Delicious, freshly made. But as they say, “if you like yesterday’s soup, come back tomorrow…” I think it will be even better tomorrow! Thanks!
Thank you! So glad to hear you enjoyed the chili.
Just finished the delicious chili. I used a squash from our garden. I added corn and a can of diced Chili’s. Delicious,
Sounds delicious! Thank you.
Can you make this in an instant pot?
I’m pretty sure there’s a way to tweak it for the instant pot, however, I haven’t tried it so I can’t really answer with certainty.
Katya … I love the recipe and difenitly will try to make it … i can get the aroma wail going through the steps
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it!
Have made this twice now and the family love it. Not a complicated recipe but the result seems more than the sum of its parts. Just delicious.
Had no oregano or bay. Used some celery salt. Red Kidney beans. Red lentils. Red pepper. (It was a very orange dish! )Veg stock. Doubled the chilli. Served with naan.
I don’t use cups (UK) but one large butternut squash yielded just the right amount.
Thank you for this recipe
Thank you Kathy! I so appreciate your feedback and so glad you are loving the chili!
This was delicious! I only used 1 tsp chili powder to keep the spiciness down for my 7 year old. We all added sour cream and shredded cheese on top and it was a bit hit even with my meat loving husband. Next time I will add more butternut squash and make sure it’s cubed small because the bigger pieces didn’t get as cooked. Overall super yummy!
Thank you Stephanie! So glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Was looking for a nutritional breakdown. Calories, etc. it was delicious.
Thanks Maureen!
My adaptation includes rotel tomatoes, pablano peppers and jalapeños to spice it up. Great recipe
That sounds great! Thanks Brian.
Made this tonight and it was amazingly good! Used a can of rotel for one of the cans of tomatoes and had one can pinto and one can kidney for the beans. Used pink lentils. The complexity of the flavor profile is what makes this a winner!
Thanks so much Ken! So glad you enjoyed it.
I made it today and it was truly fantastic! It’s filling, meaty without the meat, and full of flavor. I’m so glad I ran across this recipe!!!
Thank you April! So happy you enjoyed it.