It’s fall at the homestead and that means homemade chilis and pumpkin galore. Come along as I show you how to make the best cozy pumpkin chili recipe, a family favorite all fall and winter long.
It’s fall at the homestead and that means homemade chilis and pumpkin galore. Come along as I show you how to make the best cozy pumpkin chili recipe, a family favorite all fall and winter long.
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A favorite for the 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 inside our home. Especially on the nights I make this easy pumpkin chili recipe!
I love that this pumpkin chili recipe uses so many great ingredients. Using up homemade pumpkin puree is so much fun each fall, and this is one of my favorite recipes to do it with.
If you are like me and always have a ton of pumpkin puree to go through each fall, try some of our other favorites!
Creamy Pumpkin Carrot Pasta Sauce
Could you Make this Chili with any meat?
Absolutely! This would go great with beef, lamb, pork, 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.
Update: After years of making this recipe, I recently made a huge batch to freeze for postpartum after our third baby. Get more freezer recipe ideas in this freezer meal prep post!
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!
Equipment Needed
Sharp Knife and cutting board (if cutting your pumpkin from scratch)
Pumpkin Chili Recipe
1 pound ground meat (I’m using grass fed ground lamb here but you can swap for beef, pork, etc)
One onion, cut in half
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
2 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
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Cut the onion in half and place it on the baking tray, open side up. Then slice the top off of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves but keeping the head in tact. Place on the baking tray alongside the onion. Drizzle both with olive oil and roast at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until starting to brown.
Meanwhile, brown the ground meat in the dutch oven or instant pot preheated on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. This helps the meat brown fully and keep its flavor, instead of just throwing it in the soup uncooked.
Remove the meat and set aside. Then to the same pot add the onion and garlic and sauté another 3-5 minutes.
Next add the pumpkin and bone broth. Using an immersion blender, blend them all together until smooth and thick.
Add back the meat, as well as the beans, carrots, salt, pepper, and spices. Simmer on medium for about 30 minutes, or until carrots are soft.
Before serving, drizzle with sour cream, pumpkin seeds, freshly grated cheese, or other favorite toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
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
As soon as I can, I make a bunch of pureed pumpkin and then freeze it in small bags to pull out each week throughout the fall and winter.
First I like to make pumpkin pancakes. It’s a quick and easy way to use up leftover pumpkin.
My family also loves pumpkin biscuits and pumpkin muffins.
And then of course I always save some pumpkin for my Thanksgiving dinner menu. I use it in the sweet potato casserole as well as the pumpkin pie! You can find both of those recipes in this post.
Pumpkin Chili with Lamb
This cozy fall pumpkin chil recipe can be used with any ground meat. We love that this is packed with from-scratch ingredients like fresh pumpkin and is perfect for warming up on a cool fall day.
Ingredients
- 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, strained and rinsed
- 5 small to medium carrots, chopped
- 3 cups of bone broth, or more depending on how thick you like it
- Two teaspoons salt
- One teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- Fresh parsley
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream (optional)
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional)
- Pinch turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Cut the onion in half and place it on the baking tray, open side up. Then slice the top off of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves but keeping the head in tact. Place on the baking tray alongside the onion. Drizzle both with olive oil and roast at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until starting to brown.
- Meanwhile, brown the ground meat in the dutch oven or instant pot preheated on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. This helps the meat brown fully and keep its flavor, instead of just throwing it in the soup uncooked.
- Remove the meat and set aside. Then to the same pot add the onion and garlic and sauté another 3-5 minutes.
- Next add the pumpkin and bone broth. Using an immersion blender, blend them all together until smooth and thick.
- Add back the meat, as well as the beans, carrots, salt, pepper, and spices. Simmer on medium for about 30 minutes, or until carrots are soft.
- Before serving, drizzle with sour cream, pumpkin seeds, freshly grated cheese, or other favorite toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Does this freeze well?
Yes, chili freezes really well. In fact, this is one of my favorite recipes to freeze because it reheats so nicely!
Do I use canned pumpkin or fresh?
Fresh is always best in my opinion, but a canned pumpkin will do just fine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 733Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 3503mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 12gSugar: 9gProtein: 52g
Hop on Over to See My Friend’s Chili Recipes!
Saving this to try! I love lamb and Middle Eastern spices like cumin and this sounds amazing!
This just sounds so yummy! My husband loves lamb, so I must try this recipe:)
What a yummy fall treat! This looks amazing