1-Pot Butternut Squash Quinoa Chili

So easy but the butternut squash absorbed a lot of the flavor so it was rather bland. I added more spices which helped but it wasn’t quite what I expected from a chili.

Delicious healthy comfort food. I used crushed tomatoes based on what I had on hand and it’s still works. Sweet and spicy.

This was absolutely delicious. The deep, complex, smoky flavor of the dish worked perfectly with the beans, squash, and quinoa. I topped it with avocado, a bit of cheddar cheese, and cilantro. Next time I might squeeze a bit of lime on it at the end. You can make it as spicy or mild as you like by choosing how much jalapeño and other spices to add. It was just as good for lunch today. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Love this recipe. I use pre-made chili seasoning packets when I’m short on time, and frozen butternut squash. I prefer freshly cut because it holds up better, but frozen works fine if you don’t want to do the cutting! I’ve been making this for a while now, and have added lots of extra random veggies. This recipe is so good it holds up to the addition of basically any other veggies I’ve tried (though broccoli was questionable.) My husband grew up in a chili-over-rice family and the quinoa in this is the perfect middle ground for our tastes!

We loved this vegetarian chili! We used spinach instead of the kale and ate it with rice. I served it to my toddlers too so didn’t include the jalapenos or adobo. Delicious!

Easy to make, healthy, filling, unique taste, delicious! I was going to ask for directions for using an instant pot, but see someone has shared already so thank you!

This was so good. I added everything to the instant pot and cooked for 6 minutes and natural release for 10. Used one can of beans and one more cup of squash. Flavor was excellent.

Okay YES. For me, the chipotle, red onion, cilantro, and avocado are not optional. This will be on repeat all fall/winter. Thank you for another fantastic recipe.

One of my favorite chili recipes – so tasty! I follow the recipe exactly (I do sub maple syrup for coconut sugar) and it comes out great ever time.

Made this for four hungry boys tonight and everyone loved it. Made the recipe exact and ended up with probably about 9 servings. The jalapeno added enough kick that I didn’t end up adding the chipotle pepper, but I did do the kale. Served with a side of cornbread. This will definitely be a go-to for group dinners. Thank you!

Made for Super Bowl 55! So delicious as written! The flavors were amazing – my husband has discriminating taste and he loved it!

Delicious dish. This was my first time making the entree. I used two cans of black beans rather than the kidney beans. I added more heat with Mexican chili pepper. I also made trader joe’s Cornbread to accompany the chili. The family absolutely loved it!

This is my favorite recipe on the site so far! It’s great for bringing to work for lunch during this time of year. So filling, so satisfying🤤
And this was one of the dishes we made for our first vegan Thanksgiving.
So… Thank you!

This recipe is a staple in our house. If you want an instant pot option you can roast the butternut squash before hand and then put everything in the instant pot on high pressure for 10 min then let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Turns out perfect.
As always these MB recipes rock.

This recipe was fabulous! Full of smokey flavor. I ate it with homemade vegan sour cream which made it even more delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!

Have made this twice now and it’s delicious!!!

This is the best chili I’ve ever made hands down!! I doubled the recipe and added in some chopped celery and impossible ground “beef”. The flavors were spot on and it made enough chili for my partner and I to use for our meal prep for the rest of the week.

DEE-licious on this suddenly cold and rainy day! Like a warm sweater. Made it just as described (substituting jalapeno for less heat, but still with a little kick!) Loved it so much, I sent a text to three friends suggesting they try it, too.

Another winner! We LOVED this cozy dish… it will now be a fall/winter staple in our home. I made the recipe exactly as it was written and I would not change a thing.

This is one of the best vegan chili recipes I have ever eaten…full of flavor and not too hot. I used a deseeded jalapeno and kale and a T of cane sugar (instead of what was listed as I didn’t have any of that)…came out fantabulous. I will definitely make this again, and share with interested parties! Thanks so much for this ;-)

Wow! The best vegan chili I’ve ever made or tasted! Thank you so much Dana for your wonderful recipe! I followed it exactly, but omitted the chipotle pepper and added in extra kale from my garden. Such a wonderful balance of flavors and is so tasty on its own. It’s so satisfying and hearty, such a feel-good meal. Made lots of leftovers too!

Love this! Made it per the recipe but added 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It is healthy and hearty. Will definitely make again.

I made this for the first time last night and it was wonderful! I used frozen butternut squash, since that is what I had on hand. It worked, but I think fresh would have been a little better.
I always make new recipes as-written the first time (I only omitted the salt and saute’d my onions in water, not oil) and I would not make any changes to this recipe in the future- its great as is!
I can however, imagine this would also be really good with sweet potatoes too. The sweetness of the potato would play nicely off the spiciness of the chili.

Super delicious and nourishing fall dinner. Added plain yogurt on top to cool it down a bit and had a piece of yummy toast to dip in. Squeezing lime on top was a hit too!!!

How delicious! I loved this warming, grounding chili. Super easy to make and one of the best vegan chili’s I’ve ever eaten. Perfect smokey heat, not too spicy. Used 1 tbsp of coconut sugar, not two.

I subbed sweet potato for the squash. Kale and sweet potato is a favorite chili combo of mine. I also didn’t add any quinoa cause we were out, and I still found it pleasantly thick.

Likely cause I added a vegan chorizo. I put it in a food processor for only 5 seconds to get it to the consistency of ground meat to more easily pan fry in oil. I added the cooked chorizo at the same time as the beans.

I love this recipe so much. I kept going back for more because it was too good to not. I ate three bowls.

I look forward to making this recipe again.

So fantastic and easy!

I doubled the recipe, used all listed ingredients, and upped the greens. Now I have soup for the week as I divided into 12 containers! Very delicious, hearty, and filling. It was not too hot, even with the spices, jalapeno, and adobe chilies. YUM.

Just made a batch for lunch today! didn’t have butternut squash so substituted sweet potato and still tasted great :)

Delicious, yummy, filling, perfect comfort food.
Thanks for sharing your delicious recipies :)

I prepared thi syesterday and OMG… simply delicious! I must say that I used a chilli powder I bought in Dubai and like the Aussie friend said, this was basically grounded chillis… and it was Hoooooooootttt Hahahaha. I expected so and I used less amount luckily! Thanks for all your delicious recipies and have a great weekend :)

Delicious as usual! Filling and hearty. Didn’t add any jalapeño or adobo and it still ended up so good. We are trying to eat less meat and every single recipe we try from minimalist baker has been awesome. Thank you for another great one!

Made this tonight for a dinner party. It was amazing! I made it as written except left out the chipotle and added a few dashes of hot sauce. A really great recipe!

I rotate my chili nights between this recipe and Minimalist Baker’s 1-pot Red Lentil Chili. They are similiar but different at the same time. I love this recipe because of it’s smokiness and depth. Soooo yummy!

Yes! Looking to cut down on meat this new year and I’ve been loving all Minimalist Baker recipes lately. This is the best homemade chili – ever. No meat, so flavorful, and I feel good after I eat it :) The only thing I did differently is use a can of tomatoes stewed in habenero peppers and jalapeno for extra heat. Delicious the next day with spring greens and avocado. Yum!

Dana SNAPPED when she gave us this recipe?! Literally my first thought when I tried my first bite. I plan on making this recipe at least once a week while squash is in season. I genuinely look forward to leftovers.

The only two things I did slightly different was: 1) For the veggie broth I used the Better Than Bouillon paste (as recommended by another user — it’s very high quality). 2) And I didn’t have a chipotle pepper :'(
SO instead I used a heaping tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Tunisian Harissa Spicy Paste, because I like the smoky heat this chili paste has.

Sooo good with the suggested toppings.

Thanks Dana! <3

Oops! I forgot to rate this dish!
An update as well: the chili was a hit at the party!

This was easy to make. I used 1 tsp. Paprika for 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika. I used maple syrup to cool off the small Serrano pepper from my frozen stash. [excuse me while I wipe my face off from the heat]
Delicious and will share this to mitten and hat making party at our local fabric store for the giving tree. Thank you!

Sooo yummy!

One of the most flavorful vegetarian chilis I’ve ever made! Mid-way through making it I realized I didn’t have any quinoa, so I substituted with a quarter cup of farro– still delicious, and added a nice texture! I also added two tbsp of ketchup in lieu of tomato paste (don’t judge, it’s all I had). Make sure to add the chipotle with adobe, it makes the flavor pop! Yum.

This is delicious – the heat index was a bit intense even without the adobo. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed every single bite. There’s a good balance of beans and squash plus the added texture of quinoa. I can’t wait for dinner tomorrow night. I’ll keep looking for inspiration and recipes from your IG posts.

Hi Dana, I have been following on Instagram for sometime now and I just starting trying out your recipe. I am absolutely blow away at the selection and the flexibility you offer with ingredients. I made the butternut squash quinoa chili and I want to let you know that you just created a family tradition for my family. Much love and respect for all that you do

I use this chili every month for a free community meal. Everyone loves it and says they can’t believe there is no meat. It is not only a great chili recipe, but perfect for serving to an eclectic mix of tastes and dietary issues. Thank you so much!!!

I am not sure where the 10 minute prep time came from… it took me 14 minutes just to cut the butternut squash, another 5 just to peel the garlic, you get the idea. Maybe if you have your own personal sous chef. Still, the prep is comparatively easy, just chop stuff and throw it all in a pot. This makes clean up really easy too, which is a hidden bonus! Chili came out pretty good and I will likely make this again with some alterations…. I hate to admit it because minimalist Baker is my fave, but I was expecting more depth in flavor. This tasted a lot like just chili powder. I used high quality chili powder, but think I will scale back on that ingredient next time and add some others.

Best chili I’ve ever had!! I’ve made it several times now and everyone I’ve made it for loves it too. I love the hearty flavor that’s full of veggies. It is also great leftover. I’m going to try freezing some this time.

Made this recipe for dinner last night and learnt a big lesson:
Chilli powder in Australia is just straight up ground chillies. Not a spice blend like you guys seem to use. I didn’t put the full amount in, and it was so spicy it was inedible ??

Perhaps you should add a note to this saying you mean a Mexican spice blend or something so foolish Aussies like myself don’t make this mistake haha

I’m sure it will be a delicious recipe when cooked with CHILI powder, like all of your recipes usually are. Will be trying it again soon, with less painful results I hope!

Great recipe! Even won accolades from my family skeptics who swear by all things meat. Was super filling and had great flavor. Made a double batch to keep in my freezer!

This is SO good. The adobo sauce made it – cannot stop eating! And I’m a carnivore!

Dana thank you for this lovely site. It’s my favorite. Your recipes are so yummy and fun to make, and the photography and intros are inspiring and fun. Appreciate all of your hard work.

This is absolutely delicious! I am going to make this again and again and again!

I made this for my family & friends over the weekend & it was a big hit! I subbed the squash with sweet potatoes (because we already had those) & I used about have the chili powder to have less heat for the kids, and it turned out beautifully! I love the addition of quinoa to a chili recipe. Yum! We’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you!

We made this last night the traditional way (as instructed above) and it was so amazing! We are very picky foodies and this is the perfect veg chili with a great level of spice. Thanks for such a wonderful and healthy recipe!

This was soooo delicious! Thank you for an amazing recipe!

This is the BEST chili I’ve ever homemade! My boyfriend and I have made it twice already and we’re planning on making it again this week. We follow the recipe exactly and it’s great every time. It’s the right amount of spice, flavor, and it definitely fills you up! Highly recommend!

This recipe is awesome! I didn’t add the kale as I had none on hand, but it was delicious nonetheless. As always, Minimalist Baker hits a home run on yet another fantastic recipe! Thank you!!

Delicious! Different, and just the right amount of heat for me with 1/2 jalapeno, no seeds. Made the faux-ritos to go with it, and they were great too.

I used 2T high-quality chili powder and 1T freshly-ground cumin, plus other spices as indicated, and that was plenty of flavor. I also roasted the butternut squash separately to enhance its sweetness, and left out the sugar in the recipe. It came out great!

Note: Best if one uses fresh squash..frozen squash has different texture unfortunately.

I made this for lunch and it was so easy and delicious! I used spinach instead of kale since that’s what we had and topped it with multigrain tortilla chips. The chipotle pepper in adobo gives it a nice kick without it being overly spicy.

This soup was wonderful! I didn’t have jalapeños, so added diced green chilis instead. I think this definitely upped the heat factor. It was easy to make, and it was requested again as a future meal.

My family loved it! I used green pepper instead of jalapeno ( since I didn’t have one) but I made sure I added the adobe chili for heat. Nice full flavor.

I love this recipe so much I made it twice in one week! I’m not sure it’s totally freezer-friendly, though.

I froze two portions for only a week, and the butternut squash ate mealy upon reheating – I couldn’t eat it! Really unappetizing texture. (I left out the kale, so not an issue there.)

Is there a trick to freezing or is that typical with cooked, frozen and reheated butternut? I froze my portions in freezer-safe meal prep containers. The rest of the dish was perfectly fine.

Made this tonight and it is delicious! My fire roasted tomatoes (1 of the cans) was flavored with chipotles so it had plenty of heat. Otherwise made it as written. Thank you!

This was such an awesome recipe. Super easy, absolutely delicious, and makes so many servings. Instant favorite.

I made this for lunch today and it was amazing. Thank you, Dana!

This was great. I had to use just black beans as that was all I had, but this will be a new favorite and it freezes well. Thank you!

I made this last night for the first time. We had guests over and everyone loved it! I used 1/2 cup of quinoa and thought it worked well. I also included the chipotle pepper/adobo sauce. The avocado and cilantro are essentials IMO and I made the Easy Vegan Cornbread to go with it. Yummy!

Hi, I made this recipe today & I love it. It taste delicious. The cooking times is also spot on. I will definitely do this again.

I just made this, it is so amazingly good!! Absolutely love all your recipes, made going vegan so easy. Thank you.

I made this tonight and we loved it! I subtracted the Jalepeno and did 1/6 of the chili pepper because my husband and kids can’t handle spice. We added cornbread on the side and can’t wait for left overs! I will definitely make this again.

YUM!! 5 stars for sure!! But 6 servings? I think probably more like 8+!!! It made a very large pot! I’m hoping it’ll freeze well! I wasn’t entirely impressed with the kale, but I did top with avocado and then became inspired when I saw the leftover nacho chips from the Holidays, so I crushed up a few of them on top with the avocado. Oh yes!! Added some crunch, a bit of saltiness, and paired perfectly with the spices in my bowl! I love this recipe and I will make it again and again. I can’t wait to make up a batch for company!

Absolutely amazing! Would definitely recommend, made this for a group of picky eaters and everyone loved it. Saved this recipe and will be making it again!

I made a double recipe for our annual New Year’s Eve Chili cookoff. I used 2 small cans of the chipotle chilis in adobo and holy cow! Is it spicy! Maybe next time just one. Also cook time was much longer to get butternut squash soft. Maybe I will try roasting it a while first. It was still delicious and I thank you for sharing.

I made this as the recipe was written. It was super perfect. I don’t usually like squash on its own, so it has to be seasoned and blend in well. My family and I GOBBLED this up! The spices were balanced perfectly. Thank you for this recipe. It saved a butternut squash from hitting the compost?!

I made it as is (minus the kale- didn’t have any). It. was. AMAZING. This one is a keeper for sure. Thanks for a great recipe!

This recipe was so simple to follow, full of nutrient rich ingredients, and definitely a crowd pleaser. Thank you for your guidance!

I made this in the instant pot and it came out perfect! I sautéed the onion, garlic, jalapeños in avocado oil then added all other ingredients except kale and Tomato paste. Cooked high pressure 5 minutes, natural release 5 min and then a quick release stirred in tomato paste and kale. Once kale was softened I served it. Everyone loved it!!

Subbed red lentils for quinoa and left our cumin because we were out. It is AWESOME!

This is so good! I used sweet potato instead of butternut, and spinach instead of kale cause that’s what I had on hand, and I left out the tomato paste cause I didn’t have any.

Just finished eating two big bowls of this chili because I couldn’t stop eating it!! Everyone in my family loves it… kids included. I made it quite spicey too. I sautéed the onions separately and then threw everything into my crockpot on high, it was don’t in 2.5 hours. Absolutely Delicious ?

I made this last night for friends and we all loved it. I also loved that the ingredients are all so accessible, I had them all on hand. Made for a comforting and cozy Christmas night! Thanks for sharing!

I made my version of this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful. I used 3 cans of beans instead of 2. I loved the smoked paprika but I didn’t love the kale added at the end. I added 1/4 cup of buckwheat as well as the quinoa to give it a meaty texture. Very good!