October 24, 2019

Vegan Chorizo & Pumpkin Chili

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Loaded with pumpkin spice & everything nice (literally), and topped with velvety vegan sour cream, red onions, seasoned pumpkin seeds, and fresh herbs … my Vegan Chorizo & Pumpkin Chili will blow that basic Chili right outta the water.

Easy, Comforting Soup You Didn’t Even Know You Needed Until Now.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. Chorizo? Pumpkin? Chili?! I thought the same thing, too until I tried it and let me tell you … this might be the best chili I’ve ever had. And that’s saying a lot, because as you all know, I am a soup connoisseur. From Vegan Albondigas to Chick’n & Dumpling Soup, you know I love my fair share of soups! Initially, I didn’t think Chorizo and Pumpkin would pair well with chili, but something about these combination of flavors (along with a few other ingredients) just hits different, if ya know what I mean?! All I’m sayin’ is, don’t knock it til you try it.

Anyway, Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’ the best vegan pumpkin chili!

Chili + pumpkin + chorizo = the perfect fall chili

Think of this pumpkin chili as everything you love about chili and fall. It’s got all of the original ingredients we love in our chili like:

  • Chili powder
  • Tomatoes
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Sour Cream

But then it’s elevated, and taken to a completely different level with:

  • Pumpkin Puree
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Bell Peppers
  • Chipotles
  • Black Beans
  • Corn
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Cilantro

the best part about this pumpkin chili (other than the fact that it tastes so damn good), is that it’s easy to prepare and cooks up in just 30 minutes!!!

As if this pumpkin chili isn’t already perfection in a bowl, it’s easy to prepare and is done cooking in just about 30 minutes. Once you’ve cooked your vegan chorizo and sautéed the veggies, all you have to do is add the pumpkin puree, chipotles, seasonings, tomatoes, and stock to simmer for about 15 minutes. Once that’s done simmering, you add in your corn and black beans for the last 10 minutes of cooking, and voilà! You’ve got pumpkin chili that’s unlike anything you ever had before. Serve it up with some of your favorite vegan sour cream, red onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cilantro, and you’re all of a sudden taking a one way trip to flavor town, my friends.

You can freeze pumpkin chili, too!

It’s true. For those days that you can’t be bothered with making dinner, you can make this pumpkin chili and store it in the freezer to save for a rainy day. To freeze the pumpkin chili, follow the recipe as written, but stop before adding the corn and black beans. Freeze it in an air-tight, freezer friendly container. Then when you’re ready, defrost the soup and bring it to a simmer on medium low heat. Once it starts simmering, add your corn and black beans, and cook for about 10 minutes.

although i highly, highly recommend using soy chorizo for this recipe, feel free to sub

As mentioned above, there’s something about the flavors of soy chorizo and pumpkin that just work – especially with all of the other ingredients! BUT, if you prefer to omit the soy chorizo, you can use any vegan beef crumbles or vegan sausage you like. You can even omit vegan meats altogether and go for a 3-bean Chili situation. The beans I would use in addition to the black beans are pinto and kidney.

I know you’re gonna love this soup, so Here are a few more of my favorite soup recipes to get you through these colder months (PS – they’re just as tasty AND easy to prepare)

…and if you’re looking for more pumpkin recipes, you need to try

I hope you love this Pumpkin Chili as much as i do!

If you give this recipe a try, make sure to snap a photo of your pumpkin chili and tag me on Instagram at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #eatfigsnotpigs. Til next time, friends!!!

5.0 from 8 reviews
Vegan Chorizo & Pumpkin Chili
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Hearty Pumpkin Chili that's smoky, flavorful, and just a touch of spice! This Chili cooks up in just about 30 minutes, and is sure be a new favorite recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Soup/Stew
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
Pumpkin Chili
  • 2 TBS avocado oil
  • 2 LBS soy chorizo *
  • 2 cups white onion, chopped
  • 2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • ¼ cup chipotles in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 - 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 cups vegan chicken broth *
  • 1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1½ cups tomato sauce
  • 1 - 28 or 30 oz can of black beans, drained but not rinsed
  • 2 cups frozen organic corn *
Garnishes
  • Vegan sour cream
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Red onion, finely chopped
  • Seasoned pumpkin seeds
Instructions
  1. In a pot on medium heat, add avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add soy chorizo, onion, bell peppers, and celery, breaking up the chorizo into bite size pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Sautee until the onions are slightly translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add chipotles, garlic, pumpkin puree, chili powder, cumin, pumpkin pie spice, and cayenne pepper. Mix to combine, making sure all the soy chorizo, onions, and peppers are coated in the seasonings.
  3. Add broth, diced tomatoes with the juice, and tomato sauce, stirring to combine. Increase heat to high. Once the chili reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add drained black beans and corn. Simmer another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper if you wish.
  5. Serve pumpkin chili hot and garnish with vegan sour cream, cilantro, red onion, and pumpkin seeds.
  6. Enjoy!
Notes
INGREDIENTS

* The brand that I used for this specific recipe is Morninstar Farms Frozen Chorizo Crumbles, but feel free to use any soy chorizo you love or are able to access. Some of my other favorite brands are Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo, El Burrito SoyRizo, and Cacique. You can typically find them in the same aisle with the regular pork or beef chorizo.

* The vegan chicken broth I use is the most are by the brands Better Than Bouillon or Edward & Sons. They are bouillon paste or bouillon cubes. Mix with water according to package directions to make 4 cups broth. If you are unable to find these brands, use whatever brand you like, or sub out for vegetable bouillon or stock.

* You can also used fresh or canned corn for this recipe

 

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  1. This chili is BOMB.COM!! Spicy, just the way I like it. Added in 1 more can of black beans and a little more corn (just because there was a little left in the bag so I figured it wouldn’t hurt). Wouldn’t have guessed that chorizo and pumpkin made a great combination…also, I forgot to add the pumpkin purée until the end but it still tastes dynamic!

    1. Pakuna, SO happy you love my pumpkin chili! I never thought he flavors would work together either, but they just do ???? Thanks for making it!

  2. I made this last night and it was amazing! My husband proclaimed it the best chili he’s ever eaten ???? I can’t wait to dig into the leftovers.

  3. I’ve found my standard chili recipe!! This went beyond my expectations and the entire crowd loved it! I thought I’d have some to freezer, but the leftovers are flying out of the fridge!

  4. Hands down, best chili I’ve ever had!Once I made it at home, and realized how easy it was – I made it for every holiday event I attended this past Christmas break. My dad, typical steak and potatoes type of guy, texted me with a “wow!” The chorizo/ pumpkin combo is the game changer, so don’t sub it out. 🙂 I brought this to my company pot luck and one of the guys was sweating (wimp!) so I’d recommend using 1/8 cup chipotle chili’s if you’re not into spice.

    1. Angelina, thank you so much for making this chili so many times!! I’m especially happy to hear that your meat loving dad thought the vegan chorizo was a game changer!!!

  5. this chili was an absolute hit with my family (i’m the only vegan), we froze it and are planning to have more next week!

  6. Me and my husband made this for Christmas, and it was so yummy!! We made it knowing our family wouldn’t have any vegan food options for us. But our soup was a big hit and was the first thing to be completely gone! I can’t handle any spice, and like things super mild, I covered mine in vegan sour cream and cilantro and damn it was goooood,

  7. I can truthfully say that this is one of the best chilis I have ever had, let alone ever made. I was intrigued by the pumpkin flavor addition and let me just say it does not disappoint! I’ve made this chili in a pinch for a dinner when I was out at a cabin for a snowboarding trip and had all the ingredients except the pumpkin puree and still tasted SO good!

  8. This chili recipe is my go to! It also won 1st place at a chili cook off in 2018 against 25 meaty chilis!

    1. Hey Colby!!! Thanks for using this recipe in a chili contest — what an honor in itself! And the fact that it won first place?! So cool!