Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Black Bean & Squash Chili

Chili is one of those winter fallback dishes for us. We usually have stuff on hand to throw one version or another together & really they don't take that long to whip up. Plus a big steaming bowl of chili is so perfect for cold winter nights.
Black Bean & Squash Chili
I was inspired to add squash to this batch of chili by Lori's Lipsmaking Goodness. I thought the sweetness of the squash would be a nice counterbalance to the other chili ingredients. To that we added a lot of our typical chili seasonings & used beer as a good portion of the liquid since we love the deep flavor it adds.

This was a pretty darn good chili but I was disappointed that the flavor of the squash didn't come through more. I think the problem might have been that I used delicata squash (because I had one one hand) & it tends to be delicately flavored. A butternut or acorn squash would probably have a flavor that stood out a little better.

Black Bean & Squash Chili

1 1/2 c dried black beans, sorted
1 T olive oil
2 c winter squash, peeled, seeded & chopped small
1 c red onion, chopped
4 shallots, chopped small
6 oz beer
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 c + chicken broth
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t ancho powder
big pinch of salt
pepper

About 2 hours before making the chili, put the beans in a large pot & cover with boiling water. Cover the pot & let sit until you are ready to put them in the chili, the beans should be about twice their size. Drain.

In a large heavy pot heat the oil over high heat. Add the squash, onions & shallots. Cook until everything starts getting brown & caramelized. Pour in the beer & use it to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Stir in all the remaining ingredients & the beans. Add enough chicken broth to just cover the everything. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat & cook until the beans are tender about 1 hour.

Top with sour cream if you wish.

3 servings.

5 comments:

Dewi said...

Kat, will you hate me if tell you that I am still having a hard time to appreciate black bean? shame, isn't it? Not that I don't try, believe me I tried so many time... still. I can eat your squash chili, but with no black bean, I wonder if that sounds silly? Looks delish from your photograph.
Cheers,
Elra

grace said...

that is a darn shame, elra!! black beans are probably my favorite, and this chili looks marvelous. tranlucent onions, softened squash. yum. :)

Thistlemoon said...

I love black beans and sweet potatoes together, so I think squash would be a great combination too! Mmmm..chili - I think it will be time for some soon!

Lori said...

Black beans are my fav! I just bought a five pound bag of them. Whew.
I see lots'o'black beans in my future.

giz said...

You weren't kidding when you said you were going to eat more beans as part of your resolution. WTG.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Get Email Updates!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Measurement Abbreviations

T = Tablespoon
t = teaspoon
c = cup
lb = pound
oz - ounce

Labels

Blog Archive

Contributors

Blog Directory for Minneapolis, Minnesota