Inspired by Savory Tooth and still trying to find more quality plant based recipes, I threw together a pretty glorious vegetarian/vegan chili last night. Hearty, savory and supremely satisfying, I will definitely make this again and again.

What you need:

• 2 cups peeled and diced butternut, about 1/2 inch cubes
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion or shallot, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 medium celery stalk, diced
• 2 cups mushrooms, diced
• 2 tbsp chili spice (I use mild)
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy!)
• 1 15oz can of red kidney beans (I always use goya brand for beans, its the best)
• 1/4 cup dry quinoa
• 1/4 cup dry brown lentils (1 cup if you’re using canned)
• 1 28 oz can of crushed tomato
• 1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or water (only 1 cup if you’re using canned lentils)
• salt and pep to taste
• large handful of fresh parsley and cilantro, minced

1. Start by sauteing butternut, garlic, onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms in a large pot or skillet in 1 tbsp of oil until translucent. Add spices and cook for a few minutes just to get them aromatic.
2. Add beans, quinoa, lentils, tomato and stock. Bring to a boil and turn down heat, cover slightly and simmer.
3. Let chili simmer for about 35-40 minutes or until lentils are cooked through. If you’re using canned lentils you can cut this time by half and just make sure your quinoa has cooked and absorbed liquid.  You may need to add additional stock/water depending on how much quinoa/lentil you’ve used, just check it periodically and if it seems too thick add a splash here and there.
4. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. It’s best to wait until the last step to add salt to this as it’s very easy to over season considering the amount of liquid that’s reduced during cooking time. Finally, stir in fresh herbs and serve!

Enjoy! Serve with your favourite cornbread/bread! This makes a large amount of chili as well and it freezes beautifully 🙂