Butternut Squash Chili Recipe
There is nothing I love more on a crisp fall day more than a bowl of hot, hearty chili. I have several recipes, such as my Lentil Chili, White Chicken Chili Rice Bowl, and White Chicken Chili with Apples. However, this butternut lentil chili is my all-time favorite. Luckily, my family loves it, too. Even my picky eaters often ask for second bowls!
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There’s just something about the slightly sweet flavor of the squash paired with the warm spices and chunky beans that make it out of this world. Don’t just take my word for it, though!
One of the oldest recipes on my site, this easy chili is also one of the most popular. With a five-star rating, readers rave about it, saying things like:
“OMG I just made this chili and it is AMAZING. I thought it might be kind of bland (I’m a firm believer in A LOT of seasoning), but holy wow it was not. I didn’t even need to top it with anything, AND now I have chili for the rest of the week. Thank you so much!” – Bee
“This chili recipe now replaces my former family favorite chili recipe. Served with sour cream and chili lime tortilla strips. Excellent!” – Marth
Try it out for yourself, and you’re sure to be making it all season long!
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.
Butternut 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 Squash Chili
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.
How long will this keep in the fridge after making? Also, has anyone frozen it? If so how long will it keep?
I would say at least good 3 days if not more. I have not tried to freeze this specific recipe but I know other chilies do well up to 3 months.
Just made this chilli and wow its good!! I used 4 fresh tomatoes maybe needs 6 next time also put some crushed chillies in it as well!! Made a ton!! Dinner for all and lunch tomorrow!!!
That’s so awesome Sue! So glad you loved it. Thanks for your feedback!
Solid recipe, I’m definitely adding this to my fall/winter meal rotation.
Thank you! Hope you enjoy.
Hi! Not a huge fan of bell peppers. Any suggestions on something I could substitute this for?
Hi Katherine: I think a leafy green would be great here such as kale or spinach.
Hi! Looking forward to trying this recipe soon. Did you cook the squash at all before cubing, or did you just add it to the pot raw? Thanks!
Hi Robyn: you want to add raw squash. It will cook with the rest of the ingredients. I hope you enjoy the chili. Thanks!
How do I know what weights to use instead of cups ( eg three cups of squash – I haven’t an idea of what that weight might be ). I live in metric land but can cope with imperial weights also. Thank you.
Hi Deirdre: unfortunately, I do not have metric weights for my recipes at this time, however, a quick google search indicates that 1 cup equals 450 grams. Hope that helps!
OMG I just made this chili and it is AMAZING. I thought it might be kind of bland (I’m a firm believer in A LOT of seasoning), but holy wow it was not. I didn’t even need to top it with anything, AND now I have chili for the rest of the week. Thank you so much!
note–I made it in the slow cooker and had it cooking on low for about 9-10 hours, and I used red lentils instead of green because green lentils don’t agree with me. For anyone who was wondering.
Thanks so much for the feedback Bee! Glad you loved the chili and thank you for the slow cooker note (I think other readers will appreciate that). Have a great weekend!
About how many servings does this recipe make?
About 8-10 servings!
Once this is finished, can I let it sit on the hot stove for another hour? Or does it needed to be served immediately? Thanks!
You should be totally fine with letting it sit. It actually tastes even better the next day (super thick and hearty).
I made this tonight and it was absolutely one of the best recipes I have tried in a very long time !!! I follow weight watchers and it fit into my food plan perfectly. I have tons of leftovers and I know that this will freeze beautifully. What an incredible recipe, thank you so much for sharing it with us 🙂
Thank you so much Dee for your kind feedback! So happy to hear you enjoyed the chili.
Just made this yesterday- what an awesome meal to enjoy in fall! Easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you loved it Stefanie! Thanks so much for your positive review.
I added a couple of hot peppers and my tomatoes were a little sharper than I hoped so I tempered both with just a smidge of honey. I also used ancho chili powder because I love it with sweet potatoes and squash and it added a nice depth. I’ve been trying to work more veggies and beans into my diet so this recipe was perfect, thank you!
Sounds absolutely delicious! So glad that you enjoyed the chili!
Wow. I made this tonight and it was delish! I added some mushrooms I had in the fridge and a 2 table spoons of dijon mustard to give it a zing. It made so much, I have lunch and dinner for the next little while!
So glad you enjoyed the chili Kate and love that you added mushrooms! It sounds so good!!!!
I made this in the crock pot. Everything in raw. High for 5 hours – delicious!!
Thanks for letting us know Joy! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This chili is nothing beyond AMAZING. I saved some for my parents and my mom asked me for the recipe when I brought it over ! It’s a must try, love it. I definitely recommend it.
Thanks so much for such a sweet feedback Julie! So happy you enjoyed it with your parents.
Cooked this tonight and it was a winner, even with my meat eating caveman boyfriend and dad!! Beautiful flavours!!
Yeay! So happy Emily! Glad your family enjoyed it 🙂
That sounds great! I hope you enjoy it.
Love all the bright colors in this chili. Perfect for the season. ♡♡♡
Me too! Thanks Valya.
Wow! I must have this chili NOW. It looks so hearty and yummy! Your step-by-step pictures are very helpful. Great recipe, Katya!
Thanks Tania. Its super hearty and filling chili!