Pumpkin Chili Recipe with Lamb

It’s fall at the homestead and that means homemade chilis and pumpkin galore. Come along as I show you how to make this pumpkin chili recipe with lamb, a perfect and healthy cozy recipe for a cold fall night. I’m sharing today’s recipe with 5 of my other blogger friends for a fall chili cook off, so be sure to check out their recipes when you’re done with this one!

It’s fall at the homestead and that means homemade chilis and pumpkin galore. Come along as I show you how to make this pumpkin chili recipe with lamb, a perfect and healthy cozy recipe for a cold fall night. I’m sharing today’s recipe with 5 of my other blogger friends for a fall chili cook off, so scroll down to the bottom to grab those recipes after this one!

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Cold, cozy nights of fall

During the fall and winter months, the sun starts to set earlier and earlier here in the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes as early as 4pm!

It might be dark outside, but it’s warm and cozy in our homestead.

I always light candles, diffuse essential oils, and decorate our home for fall like I do for each season.

But with the focus being on spending time indoors instead of outside, I spend extra time making sure our home is warm and cozy.

My husband John love watching Netflix at the end of the day. Every night after our work out routine, I make a late dinner and we take our food to the couch.

With the temps getting into the 40s at night, we even turn the fireplace on in the evenings. There is something so cozy about holding a hot bowl of soup with grated cheese and fresh pumpkin seeds on top. Scooping out the chili, watching the steam come out from the soup, and knowing that I’m eating squash, bone broth, and herbs for dinner just makes me so happy.

Could you Make this Recipe with Beef instead?

Absolutely! This would go great with beef, or even homemade meatballs with whatever meat you have in the fridge.

Does chili freeze well?

Yes! Chili is one of my favorite dishes to make a big batch of and then freeze it for a day when we go hiking in the cold and want to come home to a warm, hearty meal.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Besides being the perfect home decor during fall time, pumpkins have numerous health benefits. They are just like every other squash or vegetable, packed full of nutrients and other health benefits. Here are some of the health benefits (source):

Pumpkin is packed with vitamins and minerals and contains beta-carotene, which our bodies convert into Vitamin A.

Second, pumpkin is high in antioxidants, potassium, Vitamin C, and fiber.

With all the health benefits of pumpkins and other winter squashes, it’s no surprise that I like to make squashes once or twice a week in the fall and winter.

I am a believer that food is the #1 source of vitality in our lives. If there was only one thing I could spend our monthly budget on, it would be good, wholesome food. And it just tastes so good!

What are the best kinds of pumpkin for baking?

It is really not too difficult to make your own pumpkin. But there are a few things to know.

First, you should try to get something called a “sugar pie pumpkin”. You will see those at the grocery store. They are not the huge orange pumpkins that you may find at the pumpkin patch that you would use for carving.

There are also butternut squashes, which kind of look like pumpkins but they are skinny on one end and round on the other. You can use butternut squashes in most pumpkin recipes, but I like roasted butternut squash soup best.

Next you want to make sure to use a sharp knife when cutting up the pumpkin.

To turn a pumpkin into pumpkin puree, first cut the top off of the pumpkin then cut it in half. Next scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin and then use a squash peeler to peel the skin off. Cut the pumpkin into chunks and roast on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper on 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. It’s that easy!

PS – I have a blog post coming up with a full tutorial and video on how to do this. Stay tuned!

Equipment Needed

Sharp Knife and cutting board (if cutting your pumpkin from scratch)

Instant Pot or Dutch Oven

Immersion Blender

Pumpkin Chili Recipe with Lamb

1 pound grass fed ground lamb

One onion

1 whole head of garlic

One can pumpkin puree, or half a pumpkin chopped and roasted

One can of white cannellini beans

5 small to medium carrots, chopped

3 cups of bone broth, or more for depending on how thick you like it

Two teaspoons salt

One teaspoon pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ginger

Pinch turmeric (optional)

Fresh parsley

Grated cheddar cheese

Pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional)

How to Make Pumpkin Chili with Lamb

One of my favorite parts about this recipe is the roasted taste of the onions and garlic. When you roast onions and garlic in the oven, and then add them to the pot and use an immersion blender to blend them into the soup, oh my it is so good.

First, cut an onion in half and shave the top off of a whole head of garlic. Place on a baking tray with some parchment paper. Drizzle some olive oil on top and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the ground lamb in a cast iron until cooked. This helps the lamb brown fully and keep its flavor, instead of just throwing it in the soup uncooked.

Add the onion and garlic to an Instant Pot, then add the pumpkin and bone broth. Using an immersion blender, blend them all together until smooth and thick.

Add the beans, carrots, lamb, salt, pepper, and spices. Pressure cook for at least 30 minutes.

Before serving, drizzle with sour cream, pumpkin seeds, and freshly grated cheese. Scoop out the pumpkin chili in a bowl and savor on a cold fall night.

What to serve with Pumpkin Chili

I always serve our soups with a kale salad on the side. We rip up farm fresh kale leaves, top with pumpkin seeds, fruit, and parmesan cheese. Then I just mix up a homemade dressing with three parts olive oil to one part apple cider vinegar and one part dijon mustard. Add salt and pepper and mix together with a fork. It is so….. delicious. Read about some of the amazing health benefits of kale here.

For another easy veggie option, try making crispy Brussels sprouts on the stove.

Or since the chili is a full meal on its own, you could just serve the chili with a slice of warm sourdough bread and call it a day. This is by far my favorite way to enjoy soups and chilis.

What to do with Leftover Pumpkin

During the fall, I keep making fresh pumpkin on rotation because we use it for a few different dishes.

First I make pumpkin sourdough pancakes at least once a week. It’s kind of like my buttermilk pancake recipe, only with pumpkin instead of buttermilk. Maybe I’ll share that recipe on here this fall.. if I can get myself to write it all down!

Breakfast Pumpkin Pie Naturally Sweetened. This was one of my very first blog posts actually! I was so excited because I had created a pie that I could eat for any meal. So many pies and dessert dishes have so much sugar that I really don’t want in my body. This one is naturally sweetened and a great use for your pumpkin.

Now go get more chili recipes!

Fall Garbanzo Chili

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Homemade Chili

BBQ Cowboy Chili

Healthy White Chicken Chili

Thank you so much for stopping by the Duvall Homestead!