Name: Butternut-Bulgur Chili
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 4 lb. roma tomatoes, quartered; 2 cups coarsely chopped onions; 4 fresh poblano peppers, halved, stemmed, and seeded; 1 fresh jalapeño chile, halved, stemmed, and seeded; 6 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 4 cups cubed butternut squash (½-inch cubes); 2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups); ¾ cup uncooked whole grain bulgur; 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; Sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; ¼ cup roasted pepitas; Sliced scallions; Chopped fresh cilantro

Prep-time: 20 minutes / Ready In: 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes 16 cups
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This butternut squash and bulgur vegan chili is rich, complex, and oh-so-satisfying. A combination of poblano chiles, jalapeños, cocoa powder, and warming spices give this hearty stew a mole-inspired flavor profile that warms you up from the inside out. Grains of bulgur wheat soak up all the delectable seasonings to create a meaty texture that’s made even more substantial with the addition of nutrient-dense pinto beans. Top each bowl with a crunchy garnish of roasted pepitas, cilantro, and scallions for the ultimate bowl of comfort food.

By Nancy Macklin, RDN, Last Updated: Feb 8, 2023

Ingredients

4 lb. roma tomatoes, quartered
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
4 fresh poblano peppers, halved, stemmed, and seeded
1 fresh jalapeño chile, halved, stemmed, and seeded
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups cubed butternut squash (½-inch cubes)
2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
¾ cup uncooked whole grain bulgur
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup roasted pepitas
Sliced scallions
Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two large shallow baking pans with parchment paper or foil. Spread tomatoes, onions, poblano halves, jalapeño halves, and garlic on prepared pans. Sprinkle with vinegar. Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes or until poblanos and onions are slightly charred. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a 6-quart pot combine the next eight ingredients (through cumin). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.
Transfer roasted vegetables, in batches, to a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Transfer to pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and black pepper. Serve chili topped with pepitas, scallions, and cilantro.

tags:

chili

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17 Comments

Comments (17)

(4.67 from 6 votes)

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Carol R.3 months ago

I loved this chili. The extra work involved is well worth it. I think a lot of people would not miss the meat. Adding the bulgar was a great addition to this chili. I tend to enjoy recipes by Nancy M., mostly for the simplicity and vegan/vegetarian food. I usually have a hard time, because I prefer no oil, no sugar, and no salt (health reasons). Thanks for this lovely chili recipe!

Emarie4 months ago

What type bulgur – medium, coarse, whole grain?

Courtney Davison4 months ago

Hi Emarie,
We recommend whole grain bulgur. We’ve updated the recipe to specify this. Thanks for your comment!

Warmly,

Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives

Rachael Sharrocks4 months ago

Do we have no. Of calories per serving please?

Paula Markham4 months ago

What might be a good gluten free substitute for the bulgur? Buckwheat? Quinoa?

Janet3 months ago

I don’t know much about hot peppers. On a heat level of 1-10 ( 10 being the hottest), how hot is this recipe?)

Courtney Davison4 months ago

Hi Paula,

Quinoa and buckwheat are both good options.

Thank you,
Courtney, editor with Forks Over Knives

Rachael Sharrocks4 months ago

I did it with buckwheat and it’s lovely

Liz Gould-Leger4 months ago

I can’t find the number of cups or servings recipe yields. Thanks for providing this!
Recipe sounds great, and I will try it!

c4 months ago

16 cups
(right before the introduction paragraph, next to the print/save icons)

Heather5 months ago

This is really delicious just as written.

JLimdin7 months ago

Unbelievable complex and delicious.

Allyson8 months ago

Yummmm!!!! This is going into the fall rotation for sure! So many great flavors!! I left the veggies and tomatoes a little more chunky, and it was a great bite!! Definitely add pepitas on top!

Nick Denbow1 year ago

Sorry guys, no metric conversion really alienates me.

Mary Hill4 months ago

Not too hard to find out. Same as I do if a recipe is written in metrics. Those are usually recipes coming from Europe. I don’t begrudge the writer. Just look for a conversion chart on line. Easy peasy.

Lori Boren4 months ago

There are conversion tools all over the internet.

Maudie Reed4 months ago

I like the chili recipe

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about the author

Nancy Macklin, RDN

Nancy Macklin has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in health services administration from the University of Saint Francis. Macklin worked as a hospital-based clinical dietitian, providing counseling for diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss and as a food service director in health care dining sites. She now serves as a test kitchen dietitian, developing 500+ recipes per year. She is a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Find her on LinkedIn.

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