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Pumpkin Chili with Black Beans and Chickpeas is a great alternative to a regular chili! This healthy and gluten-free stew is a perfect family weeknight dinner for those cold days in the Fall.
What could be better than healthy comfort food on a cold night? This pumpkin chili is so good - it will disappear fast from your table. I am so happy to share this recipe because it is such a winner and is so different from a regular chili!
This recipe features black beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas) instead of meat. However, you can add any type of cooked ground meat (beef, pork, or chicken) to this chili if you like. The recipe is super versatile. This pumpkin chili is healthy, vegetarian, and gluten-free. It's great comfort food on a cold night in the fall or in the winter.
If you want to try other interesting versions of regular chili, check out butternut squash chili and pumpkin quinoa chili.
Pumpkin Chili - Savory Recipe
- This is definitely a SAVORY pumpkin chili, without any sweetness or spices that are usually associated with pumpkin.
- This is chili, first and foremost, so the only spices here are chili powder and cumin, just like in a regular chili.
- There is no cinnamon, no nutmeg, no pumpkin pie spices in this recipe.
Healthy and Gluten-Free
- This pumpkin chili is packed with fiber and protein and rich in nutrients.
- Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) contain some key vitamins and nutrients, such as iron, zinc, phosphate, and vitamin K.
- Black beans are a source of manganese, zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium.
- Tip: when buying beans, get the variety with no salt added to reduce your sodium intake.
Substitutions
- This recipe includes 2 types of beans: black beans and garbanzo beans. You can also use any other type of white beans instead of garbanzo beans.
- This recipe does not have meat, however, you can include any type of meat of your choice, such as cooked ground beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. You can also add finely shredded cooked beef, chicken or turkey.
Tips for making the best pumpkin chili
- Just like with any chili recipe, the spiciness is a very individual thing. This recipe provides the exact amount of spices to use, however, use your own taste as a guide. Add extra cumin or chili powder, depending on how spicy and flavorful you like your chili.
- Don't add 2 tablespoons of chili powder all at once to the pumpkin chili. Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder first, taste the chili, and then proceed with the second tablespoon.
- Make sure to add salt at the same time when adding spices. This will help you to get the right amount of seasoning and spiciness.
- The recipe produces 4 medium-size servings. You might have to double the recipe if you plan to serve this for dinner as the only meal for 4 people.
Other Pumpkin Chili Recipes
What to serve with Pumpkin Chili?
- Garlic and Bacon Green Beans sautéed in olive oil and butter. These crunchy beans make a great holiday side dish! It's a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries will be a delicious addition to this chili. This recipe is healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian, and rich in fiber!
Pumpkin Chili with Black Beans and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree from the can or homemade
- 1 cup tomatoes from the can
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- 15 oz black beans (425 g), from the can
- 7.5 oz garbanzo beans (212 g), from the can
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder (start with half the amount, and add more, to taste)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (start with 1 tablespoon, and add more, to taste)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot or skillet, cook chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat until soft.
- Add pumpkin, canned tomatoes (chop them up into smaller chunks), vegetable stock (or water), black beans and garbanzo beans.
- Add half the cumin and half the chili powder, stir everything well, and season with salt and pepper.
- Taste your chili, season some more with salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the remaining cumin (or more) and remaining chili powder (or more), if desired.
- Bring to boil, make sure to stir all ingredients well together to combine flavors and spices.
- Reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes on simmer.
- Serve in soup bowls, garnished with chopped green onion.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This recipe was originally published on November 4, 2013, and republished with updates in November 2019.
I am trying to do more of a plant based diet (taking chemo) and have been looking for a good chili recipe. Love that you use the "normal" chili spices! Thinking I might use a can of Rotel tomatoes with chili's. I will be the only one eating this as hubby has to have meat in his and he won't try my veggie dishes...his loss! Thank you again for this beautiful chili, can't wait to make it!
So sorry to hear about your chemo, Kandy! 🙁 I wish you very best and wish a complete recovery! I know what you're saying that your hubby won't eat the dish if it doesn't have meat in it - my husband is the same way. 😉 You could always add cooked meat into his portion of the chili.
This was AMAZING!!! We LOVE it. I hope that you don't mind, but I am going to post it to my blog on Wed in my Best of Fall post. You can check it out at
www {dot} confessionsoftheperfectmom {dot} com
Thanks so much!!
Kat
So glad you liked it! Thanks for including it in your round-up!
I loved the recipe! I also added some hot curry that I found at the international market. It was a great flavor addition and next time I think I might add a serrano chile as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for your comment! Yes, curry is a great addition to this recipe, in fact I even have one recipe that is similar to this one but with curry: pumpkin coconut and peanut butter curry
So yummy! I used the full can of chickpeas and didn't have cumin... this still came out delish and was so easy to make! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Suzie - thank you! I am glad you liked the recipe!
I'm going to use butternut squash instead of pumpkin since our garden overfloweth! 🙂 Thanks for the great looking recipe!
Great idea to use butternut squash! I have to make butternut squash chili too, sometime soon. 🙂
Just wondering if anyone used sweet bell peppers in this recipe? I use them in my regular chili but I don't know how it would taste with the pumpkin. I'm having a clambake/fall food party this weekend and this recipe would be perfect!! Can't wait to try it!
Haven't tried it with bell peppers but I think they would taste great in any chili!
i would like to know how much of each i need to double?? i need more for the next day and for my husbands Lunch for work
Just double everything! Might leave garlic at 4 cloves even though I would double it too! 🙂
I just made this tonight for dinner. I love how easy this was to throw together. I am the only vegetarian in the house, so this recipe was perfect for a filling meal--and leftovers to take to school with me tomorrow! I put avocado on top, simply because I love avocado and it is so good for me! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It will definitely become a staple this winter!
I would like to know if the recipe can use fresh pumpkin from our garden. If not, is there a great recipe that calls for fresh pumpkin?
Thanks
Blair, yes you can use fresh pumpkin by baking it first, similar to what I did with the butternuts squash here: https://juliasalbum.com/2013/10/how-to-make-butternut-squash-puree/
In general, when I get fresh butternut squash or pumpkin, I always bake it first, then peel it, slice it or make it into a puree. Otherwise, it's so hard to peel fresh pumpkin!
Made this chili for dinner tonight. Hands down ... The quickest and easiest chili I have ever made .... And soooo delicious! I can't stop sneaking back for more. I doubled the recipe, and then threw in the extra cup of pumpkin I had left. Perfect! I don't see how you could meas up this recipe. I've already shared it with my sister. Thanks Julie.
Janice - thank you so much! I also think this is a pretty straight forward and easy recipe. I made pumpkin chili so many times last winter! Can't wait to start making it now this winter too!