Chicken, Pumpkin, and White Bean Chili

A hearty white chili with cubes of roasted pumpkin and spicy Hatch chiles, chunks of chicken breast, and creamy white beans in a beer-spiked broth.

Subtitle: Pumpkin Chunk'n Chicken White Bean Chili

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Would you like another change-of-pace chili using abundant seasonal produce? One that does not use tomatoes, green or otherwise? I would. So I made this one. I'm all about using the available veggies in new and creative ways. While I adore the simplicity of a Summer Tomato Sandwich [and in fact have been enjoying several each week with the final tomatoes of the year] when life give me lots . . . and lots and lots . . . of pumpkins I get inspired.

Since what I'm blogging about is what we're eating, primarily I focus on savory foods. While Tasty Pumpkin Treats and Pumpkin Eggnog Chocolate Chip Waffles are fun ways to eat the pumpkins that volunteer in the back yard, reality is I just can't eat like that all the time. Nor do I want to! We need a foundation of wholesome meals underneath the treats. Like this chili. It uses up the copious pumpkin in a healthy and flavorful way.

Normally I don't share a photo of what I looked like while fixing this dish, but it just happened that I was interviewed for the local paper the day I made this. You can read the article here.

For more recipes using pumpkins, please see my Pumpkin Recipes Collection. For more recipes including beans, please see my Beans (Legumes) Recipes Collection. For more recipes using Hatch chiles, please see my Hatch Chile Recipe Collection. For more recipes using chicken, use the search function on the blog because I haven't gone that far in my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. It's a resource for folks like me eating seasonally from the farm share, and right now my farm share doesn't give me chicken. I've got boards on Pinterest devoted to piles of chicken, though. Want to know how to use this blog? Click here.

Chicken, Pumpkin, and White Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pie pumpkin, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)
• olive oil (you'll need about 2 to 3 Tablespoons, divided)
• a healthy pinch of salt and grinds of pepper
• 2 large BSCB (boneless skinless chicken breasts), about 1 pound, cut into chunks
• 1 cup chopped leeks (you could sub what you've got--yellow onion, red onion, shallot)
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped (I use my roasted garlic, but fresh is also fine)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1+½ teaspoons Arizona dreaming (or cayenne pepper, your choice)
• 1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
• ¾ cup chopped roasted Hatch chiles (or the roasted chile of your choice, or 2x4 oz cans)
• 2 cups cooked white beans (mash about half of them)
• a quart of stock (I used vegetable because that was available, chicken would also be great)
• 12 ounces of beer (I used Sam Adams)
• to serve--sour cream, shredded cheese, cornbread, tortilla chips--whatever you prefer 

To Make Roasted Pumpkin Cubes

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper for best results.
2. In a large bowl, toss pumpkin cubes with about a tablespoon of olive oil. 
3. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper over top and stir to mix the spices across the pumpkin.
4. Spread cubes atop parchment-lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and bake for another 15 minutes until lightly browned and fork tender.

Instructions for Chili

1. Preheat a large pot (minimum of 3 quarts, but you'll have more room with a 5 quart pot. I used a 7 quart which was slightly too big but it's what I've got) over medium heat. Add about a Tablespoon of oil. 
2. Sauté the chicken chunks in oil for about 5 minutes and then add the leeks and peppers (and fresh garlic, if using fresh not roasted garlic). 
3. Continue to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes until the chicken is browned and the leeks and peppers are softened. Stir in roasted garlic at this point (if using roasted garlic, not fresh). Sprinkle the spices (cumin through salt) over top and stir to coat with fat.
4. Add the chiles, beans, roasted pumpkin cubes, chicken stock, and beer. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium low, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Serve with your favorite chili toppings (we like sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese), maybe a spoonful of salsa verde, and sweet cornbread on the side.

Behinds the scenes--I took 8 photos with the handle of my Pretty Purple Pot (Amazon Affiliate Link) in focus and the food all kinds of blurry. Over and over again. Thank goodness for leftovers at lunch!