Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili With Poblano Corn Bread

This chili is a celebration of spice, texture, and plant-based heartiness. A smoky-sweet blend of black beans, roasted butternut squash, and protein-rich soyrizo simmers with chipotle, cumin, paprika, and a whisper of cocoa for unexpected depth. On the side: poblano-studded cornbread with a swipe of maple-honey butter, and a sprinkle of garlicky pepitas.

Preparation

For the Poblanas Rajas:

  • Roast the poblano over an open flame until the skin is black.
  • Place the charred pepper in a bowl and cover with pastic wrap.
  • Let the pepper steam for 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and peel away the skin.
  • Cut the poblano into strips and discard the stem and seeds.

For the Black Bean Chili:

  • Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot, add the oil. 
  • Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the soyrizo, onion, garlic, and red bell pepper, and saute until soft. 
  • Add the spices and cook until fragrant.
  • Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, and blended chipotles, and cook for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the stock. 
  • Add the beans, bean liquid, roasted squash, poblano rajas, and cook until the chili has thickened. Add the agave and minced cilantro. Taste and season with salt if needed.

For the Pepita-Garlic Crunch:

  • Preheat an oven to 325*F. 
  • Combine the pepitas, oil, oregano, cilantro, garlic, salt, and msg, then spread the mixture evenly on a parchment lined sheet tray. Roast in a 325*F oven until fragrant and the pepitas are evenly toasted (3-7 minutes). 
  • Remove the pepitas from the oven and cool. Once cool, mix the pepitas with the fried shallots.

For the Caramelized Onions:

  • Combine everything in a saute pan or rondea with a tight fitting lid. 
  • Place over medium-low heat with the lid for 20 minutes. 
  • Once you see steam coming from the pot, remove the lid and stir the onions. Lower the heat to low and return the lid. 
  • Repeat this process every 10 minutes until the onions are the color of dark wood or dark caramel. If they begin to stick or the pan is too hot, add a tablespoon of water to cool it down. 
  • Remove the onions and place them on a parchment lined sheet tray, cool, and store.

For the Maple Honey Butter:

  • Finely chop the onions. 
  • Mix everything in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. 
  • Once evenly mixed, remove and form a torchon with plastic wrap. Chill the torchon in an ice bath or in the fridge overnight.

For the Poblano Cornbread:

  • Preheat an oven to 350*F. Spray an appropriately sized baking pan with cooking spray. 
  • Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy (about 3 minutes). 
  • In a separate bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. 
  • Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently fold the poblano rajas, cheese, and corn into the batter. Pour the batter into the sprayed baking pan and bake in a 350*F oven until a cake tester comes out clean.

For the Plating:

  • Plate the chili in bowls. Garnish with pepita-garlic crunch and cilantro. 
  • Serve with poblano cornbread and maple-honey butter

Ingredients

For the Poblanos Rajas:

  • 1 ea Pepper, Poblano

For the Black Bean Chili: 

  • 13g Oil, canola
  • 208g Soyrizo
  • 260g Onion, yellow, small dice
  • 65g Garlic, peeled, minced
  • 130g Bell Pepper, red, small dice
  • 52g Tomato, paste
  • 12g Chili Powder
  • 55g Chipotle, canned, in adobo, puréed
  • 18g Poblano Rajas, small dice
  • 260g Roasted Butternut Squash, diced
  • 598g Beans, black, canned
  • 44g Stock, vegetable
  • 9g Agave
  • 0.5 Cilantro, chopped
  • 2ea Bay Leaf

For the Pepita-Garlic Crunch:

  • 150g Pepitas, raw, unsalted
  • 0.3g Oregano, dry
  • 0.3g Cilantro, dry
  • 1g Garlic, granulated
  • 75g Shallots, fried
  • 2g Salt, kosher
  • 2g MSG
  • 1g Oil, canola

For the Caramelized Onion:

  • 563g Onion, yellow, julienned
  • 13g Butter, unsalted
  • 1g Oil, canola
  • 31g Water
  • 1g Salt, kosher
  • 1g Black Pepper, ground

For the Maple Honey Butter:

  • 67g Onion, caramelized
  • 2.5g Salt, kosher
  • 25g Maple Syrup, pure
  • 133.5g Butter, unsalted

For the Poblano Cornbread:

  • 132g Butter, unsalted
  • 116g Sugar, granulated
  • 113g Eggs, whole, beaten
  • 139g Cornmeal, yellow, coarse
  • 3.5g Salt, Kosher
  • 8.1 Baking Powder
  • 34.6g Poblano Rajas, small dice
  • 180g Corn, kernels, frozen
  • 157g Cheddar, white, shredded
  • 51g Agave
  • Cooking Spray, as needed 

For the Plating:

  • 1,930g Black Bean Chili
  • Pepita-Garlic Crunch, as needed
  • Cilantro, chiffonade, as needed
  • Poblano Cornbread, as needed
  • Maple-Honey Butter, as needed

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