Yes, this easy vegetarian chili contains chocolate! I just add a very small amount of very dark chocolate to give this dish a deep flavor. My chili is rich, hearty, and robust, and it even impresses my meat eating friends and family. You can eat it any way you like. I love to serve it in a bowl with quinoa, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and quick pickled onions (and with tortillas on the side), whereas my daughter Flo likes to turn the chili into a burrito.
My chili is rich hearty, and robust, and it even impresses my meat eating friends and family.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out my FIRST stop-motion video below. It was a lot of fun to make. I succeeded with a little help from my daughter and from Stevie Wonder :-).
Pumpkin chili with dark chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 small orange pumkin (cleaned about 700 g / 1.5 lb)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large green bell pepper seeds removed and diced
- optional: 1 green chili pepper finely chopped (seeds removed if you like it less hot)
- 1½ tbsp chili powder
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika (pimentón de la vera) or chipotle powder
- 2 (400 g / 14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes
- 225 ml / 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (400 g / 15 oz) can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (400 g / 15 oz) can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 2-3 small pieces of dark chocolate (85% cocoa) broken or chopped into smaller pieces
Toppings
- 2 ripe avocados diced
- several tbsp of sour cream
- several handfuls of cilantro leaves
- lime juice
- quick pickled red onions see note
Serve with
- cooked quinoa or rice, (whole wheat) tortillas
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin into half, remove the seeds and strings, and cut the flesh into 1.5 cm / ½ inch cubes.
- Parboil the pumpkin in salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pumpkin.
- Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion and garlic 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and, if using, the chili pepper and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the spices and cook briefly. Mix in the pumpkin, chopped tomatoes, and broth.
- Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down and cover the pan. Let simmer for about 30 minutes (this helps the flavors to develop), stir every now and then. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the beans, stir, and let simmer for 10 more minutes, until the chili has slightly thickened. Finally mix in the chocolate. Stir well until the chocolate has melted completely. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls together with some cooked quinoa or rice. Top with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and pickled red onion (see note). Serve with tortillas.
Notes
Hungry for more?
Hungry for more vegetarian recipes with pumpkin? Check out My Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner and my Pumpkin Bread.