Simmered slowly for a deep flavor profile, this Pumpkin Chili triples-up on pumpkin and features layers of spice from fatty chorizo and smoky chipotles in adobo.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Chili
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil
1pound80/20 ground beef
1 poundMexican chorizo
4teaspoonsDiamond kosher salt, divided
1 largeyellow onion
4poblano peppers
5clovesgarlic
2chipotles in adobo
2tablespoonsadobo sauce
1pie pumpkin*
2cupsLibby's pumpkin puree
115 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
115 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2tablespoonschili powder**
4teaspoonsground cumin
2tablespoonslight brown sugar, packed
6cupsbeef broth
1navel orange
Garnishes
8ouncessour cream
1/2small red onion, diced
1/2cuproasted pepitas
Instructions
Before beginning, prepare the onion, poblanos, and garlic. De-stem and de-seed each poblano, then chop them into 1/2-inch pieces. Next, dice the yellow onion. Lastly, finely mince or microplane the garlic.
In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering over medium-high heat. Add the beef, chorizo, and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, allowing the meat to slightly caramelize and sear before breaking it up. Brown the meat until cooked through, then remove it from the pot, leaving the rendered fat behind. Reduce the temperature to medium-low, then add the chopped onion, poblanos, and grated garlic to the pot, along with the additional 2 teaspoons salt. Allow them to sauté until tender, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10-15 minutes.
While the onions, poblanos, and garlic are sweating down in the pot, prepare the chipotles in adobo and pie pumpkin. Remove the chipotles from the adobo sauce and roughly chop them. Next, cut the pie pumpkin in half (cutting just beside the stem), scoop the seeds out as you would a butternut or acorn squash, peel each half with a vegetable peeler, cut out the stem, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Add the chipotles, adobo sauce, and pie pumpkin to the pot, then return the meat to the pan. Lastly, add the pumpkin puree, pinto and black beans, chili powder, cumin, and brown sugar.
Increase the heat to medium-high, stirring the ingredients until coated in the spices and the spices are aromatic, about 2-4 minutes. Add the beef broth to the pot, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with the lid, and stir occasionally as the chili cooks for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
Once finished cooking, juice the navel orange directly into the chili and stir to combine. Ladle hefty servings into bowls, topping with the sour cream, diced red onion, and pepitas.
Equipment
1 large pot or dutch oven
1 vegetable peeler
Notes
*Pie pumpkins are commonly found in grocery stores during the early fall months. If you cannot find them, another winter squash, such as acorn or butternut squash, will work well as a substitute. **Adjust the chili powder according to your spice tolerance. Start with 1 tablespoon for a milder chili or use the full 2 tablespoons for a deep, pleasant burn.This pumpkin chili makes 10-12 servings but in the event that you have excess, it reheats wonderfully and freezes well too. This chili is gluten free and nut free, and can be easily made dairy free by omitting the sour cream or substituting with a plant based alternative.