This chili is a little unconventional, but with homemade vegetable stock, carrots, butternut squash, mustard greens, black beans, and beef, it packs a flavor punch and carries a variety of textures. Just like any other chili, it’s perfect on a cold fall or winter day, when the leaves are crisp beneath your feet and the sky pokes through bare branches above.
If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to see your recreations!
FOR THE CHILI
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
1/2 onion, about 2 cups, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound organic grass fed ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
spices - Feel free to use your favorite chili spices. I used about a teaspoon of chili powder, ground celery seed, turmeric, paprika, cumin, and coriander.
2 1/2 cups carrots (about 2 1/2 medium carrots), chopped
5 cups butternut squash, diced (one medium butternut squash)
2 1/2 cups of mustard green stems, chopped (stems from one bunch of mustard greens)
1 can tomatoes
1 can black beans
5 cups mustard green leaves, torn into bite sized pieces
METHOD
Begin by heating about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot for 1-2 minutes. Add the onions and salt, and cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until evenly golden brown and caramelized.
In a separate pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and cook the ground beef. Set aside.
Once the onions are caramelized, toss in the garlic and spices, and cook until the spices are fragrant and toasted, about 2 minutes.
Next, toss in the mustard green stems, butternut squash, and carrots, and stir everything together well. Cook over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin sweating and combining.
Once the vegetables have cooked together for a bit, add the tomatoes, black beans, and beef, and mix everything together again.
Cover the mixture with vegetable stock, chicken or beef broth, or water, and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Once vegetables are tender turn the heat off, and add the mustard green leaves. Fold them into the soup, until they’re wilted.
The chili is best served a day or two after it’s cooked.
Enjoy!
FOR THE CASHEW-LIME CREMA
This recipe will make a larger batch of cashew cream than you need to serve with the soup, but don’t sweat it. I promise you will want to use it all up! Cashew cream is extremely versatile. For this soup, I like to mix the cashew cream with lime juice, but only as much as I’m going to use to garnish to the soups.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1 cup water
lime, to taste
salt, to taste
METHOD
To make the cashew cream, place the cashews in a bowl or pot. Boil enough water to cover them, and let the cashews sit in the hot water for about 20-30 minutes.
In a high speed blender, like a Vitamix, add the cashews and water and blend until completely smooth. You’ll probably need to scrape down the sides a few times.
To make Cashew-Lime Crema for a Chili garnish, simply use a few tablespoons of the cashew cream and mix it with lime juice and salt to taste. I like the ratio 1.5 : 1 cashew cream : lime juice. I also like to grate a little lime zest, but that’s completely optional!
Drizzle the Cashew-Lime Crema over the chili and enjoy!
