Skip The Beans — Give Chili An Instant Flavor Boost With This Overlooked Addition

Of all the chili ingredients, beans are probably one you'd never think to leave out. However, butternut squash could actually make for a delicious alternative. As it cooks, butternut squash becomes soft and tender which gives the dish a similar texture to beans, so it makes an excellent substitute for anyone who can't eat beans, doesn't enjoy them, or is simply looking for a change. In fact, chili may actually be one of the best ways to use butternut squash to its full potential, as the vegetable has a nutty, earthy sweetness which provides contrast against the otherwise savory flavors. That sweetness is everything here. It can balance the acidity of canned tomatoes, the smokiness and heat of the spices, and even the rich saltiness of the meat in something like a spicy slow-cooker beef chili.

To put it to work, you simply need to peel and deseed a butternut squash, then cut it into small cubes. The cubes shouldn't be too small as they might become soft, mushy, and disappear into the sauce, nor should they be so big that they feel chunky and out of place. Some nice texture, the same kind of texture that beans would add, is the goal, and about ½-inch sized cubes are ideal. Add the squash to the chili at the same time as the canned tomatoes and stock. Simmer until the squash can be pierced with a fork, which will take around 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the cubes. 

There are a few different ways to further complement the mellow, sweet, and earthy flavor of butternut squash in your chili. Chipotle peppers in adobo, for example, make a particularly good match by bringing a distinctively smoky heat to play off the sweetness. Or, you could take inspiration from Mexican mole sauces by adding a little unsweetened cocoa powder and ground cinnamon alongside your cumin and chili powder. And no, this won't make your chili taste like chocolate; rather, it will add some subtle bitterness that can ramp up the contrast with the squash and give chili more depth. To play up the bittersweet contrast further, roasting the butternut squash separately first and then mixing it into your chili will allow its natural sugars to caramalize and bring out more toasted, nutty notes.

While the squash makes a nice substitute for beans, if you're firmly on team beans then you can absolutely incorporate them too. Butternut squash makes a great pairing for beans as well, and its tenderness combined with the creamy yet firm bite of beans creates a nice synergy in chili. Throw some cubed squash into a basic three-bean vegetarian chili and enjoy that lovely mix of sweet, earthy squash with creamy, savory beans in a smoky, spicy sauce.