Easy Roasted Pumpkin 3-Bean Chili Recipe (Vegetarian and Vegan)

Are you in the mood for a hearty, healthy, fulfilling meal? Then you’ve come to the right place. You’re going to love our vegetarian roasted pumpkin chili recipe. It’s loaded with rich and savory flavors, protein and nutrients. Better yet, it’s easy to make – and freeze leftovers for quick future meals.

This recipe happens to be vegetarian (vegan) but meat-eaters also love it! Feel free to add cheese or sour cream on top at the end. Making and freezing pumpkin chili is one of our favorite ways to preserve extra homegrown pumpkins and butternut squash from the garden too.

Note: This post was originally published in October 2019.

RELATED: Want to make it homegrown? Get our top tips on growing pumpkins and winter squash. Also don’t miss our easy guide on how to make and freeze homemade pumpkin puree or how to make the best crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds.

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What kind of pumpkins to make pumpkin chili?

You can make vegetarian pumpkin chili either using whole fresh pumpkins, store-bought canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), or homemade pumpkin puree. Using canned pumpkin makes this recipe extra quick and easy, but roasting fresh pumpkins makes the chili even more chunky, rich and flavorful!

If using fresh pumpkins, it’s best to use petite sugar pie pumpkins – also known as pie pumpkins or baking pumpkins. However, you can also substitute with other winter squash like butternut, fairytale or cinderella pumpkins, kabocha squash, or hubbard squash. We often make this recipe with homemade butternut squash puree instead.

Avoid using big jack-o-lantern pumpkins; their flesh is too bland and stringy to make good chili.

Ingredients

This recipe yields about 3 quarts of vegetarian pumpkin chili. However, we almost always double it to freeze extras!

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili Base

• 1 whole sugar pie pumpkin to roast. For reference, we’ve found the average pie pumpkin to weigh about 2.5 pounds when whole, before being gutted. Or substitute with 1 can of plain pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling).
  

• 3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed. We love the combination of black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. If you prefer to use dry beans instead of canned, you’ll need about 4.5 to 5 cups total after cooking. 
  

• 1 large white or yellow sweet onion, diced
  

• 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
  

• 1 can (14.5 ounce) of diced or crushed tomatoes. Opt for a roasted variety if possible! Because we double this recipe, we usually use one can of diced roasted tomatoes to add some chunkiness, plus one jar of our thick homemade simple roasted tomato sauce from the freezer.
  

• 2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth. Learn how to easily make homemade veggie broth here! Or, use concentrated “better than bouillon” paste mixed with water to achieve the same volume. 
  

• 1 large bell pepper of choice. Again, because we double the recipe, we usually do one red or orange plus one green.
  

• 2 cups of diced brown crimini mushrooms (just under an average 8-ounce package)
  
  
• 2023 update: We’ve added corn to a few batches now and really enjoy it!

Pumpkin Chili Seasonings

• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 to 2 tsp chili powder (sliding scale based on personal spice preference). We love using homemade chili powder in this recipe!
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano, OR 1 tsp dried oregano 
• A tiny pinch each of nutmeg and ground clove
• Optional: 1 Tbsp onion powder 

Instructions

1) Roast the Pumpkin

If you’re using canned pumpkin, skip right to Step 2. 

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  
  
• First, wash your sugar pie pumpkin, cut it in half, and scoop out the guts and seeds. Save the seeds to roast, compost them, or feed them to your spoiled chickens! If you do opt to eat them, I highly suggest soaking pumpkin seeds before roasting them to make them more nutritious and easier to digest.
  
• Add a light drizzle of olive oil over the pumpkin “bowl”, plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  
  
• Place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, flesh side facing down. Poke the back skin side of the pumpkin with a sharp knife in a few places. This helps steam get between the skin and flesh, and makes it extra easy to peel the skin off after roasting.
  
  
• Roast the pumpkin for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, until soft.

2) Start Chili Base 

• Prep the other ingredients while the pumpkin roasts. Once it’s almost done roasting (or finished), heat a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
  
  
• Add a good splash of olive oil along with the diced onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms to the pot.
  
  
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Saute until everything softens a bit and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. 
  
  
• Next, add the minced garlic, fresh (or dry) oregano, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, clove, nutmeg, soy sauce, and onion powder to the pot. Stir to coat, and cook for another few minutes. 

3) Combine Everything

• Once the pumpkin is finished roasted and slightly cooled, gently peel away the pumpkin skin. If it doesn’t come away from the flesh easily, use a knife to remove it, or a spoon to scoop the cooked flesh out. 
  
  
• Now, pour in the called-for veggie broth, tomatoes (with juices), optional corn, and beans (strained, without the can liquid) into the pot. If your pumpkin flesh is thoroughly cooked and very soft, you can toss it into the pot in large chunks. It will break up as you mix and continue to cook the chili. If it still seems a little firm, mash it up in a bowl first to break it apart. Mix well. 
  
  
• Once everything is combined, bring the pot to a boil. Thereafter, reduce the heat to simmer for a final 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has thickened and reduced to your liking. During this time, stir occasionally. Also, give the vegetarian pumpkin chili a taste-test! Feel free to add more chili powder if you prefer it on the spicier side.

*Note: Using different canned ingredients may result in a different consistency than ours. If your chili is not as thick as you’d like, try blending a portion of the chili (a quarter to a half) either by using an immersion blender right in the pot, or removing a portion to blend and add back in.

4) Serve and Enjoy

Now it’s time to enjoy! Vegetarian pumpkin chili is delicious on its own, but extra toppings can bring it to a whole new level of good. Popular chili toppings include crunched tortilla chips, avocado, grated cheese, fresh cilantro, pumpkin seeds, sour cream, or even micro-greens. We often use plain yogurt as a lighter alternative to sour cream too.

Don’t forget a side of homemade sourdough bread, or my favorite, sourdough focaccia! Or you can go all out a make a pumpkin shaped sourdough bread loaf to serve alongside the chili. How festive of you.

Storage

Store leftover vegetarian pumpkin chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 5 days. Or, preserve it in the freezer to enjoy for many months to come. See freezing tips below. If you’re looking for more ways to use it up, it also makes a darn good cold bean dip with corn chips! 

Freezing Pumpkin Chili

Allow the pumpkin chili to fully cool in the refrigerator before packaging to freeze. If you made a large double batch, you can help expedite safe rapid cooling by putting the pot in an ice bath in a clean sink. (Retired health inspector here!)

Once cooled, transfer the pumpkin chili into freezer safe storage containers of choice. We love to freeze chili and soup in these reusable BPA-free freezer containers. The quart size makes a perfect two person meal. Pumpkin chili is good for up to a year in the freezer.

Defrost frozen pumpkin chili in the refrigerator a day or two before you want it, and simply reheat on the stovetop in a pot. To make a healthy meal even more nutritious, we like to lightly sauté garden greens such as bok choy, kale, and/or mustard greens in the bottom of the pot before adding the chili to reheat it!

So satisfying. So good.

Thank you for tuning in. I truly hope you love this vegetarian pumpkin chili recipe as much as we do! Please feel free to ask questions and leave a review below.

Don’t miss these related recipes:

• Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage Soup Recipe
• Delicious Butternut Squash Pie Recipe (Vegan Options)
• Kale Lentil Soup (Stew): Hearty, Healthy, Vegan
• Healthy Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe (or Muffins)