Photo of Black bean, farro & roasted squash  chili by WW

Black bean, farro & roasted squash chili

3
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
Farro is an ancient variety of wheat with a tough outer hull that protects the nutrient-packed grain kernel inside. There are several varieties, any of which may be used here. Pearled (or polished) farro is the fastest-cooking but it has lost its nutritious layer of bran. You can also find semi-pearled and whole-grain options, the latter of which requires a long soak before cooking. Simply choose the variety that suits your sensibilities and follow the cooking directions on the package. Farro is a nice change of pace from the usual white or brown rice chili stir-ins—one that works well in this hearty vegetarian chili. You can also substitute thawed frozen butternut squash, which has already been peeled and seeded, to save some prep time here.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

4 spray(s)

Raw butternut squash

3 cup(s), peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Poblano chili pepper

2 medium, diced

Onion

1 medium, chopped

Garlic

4 clove(s), minced

Chili powder

2 Tbsp

Ground cumin

1 Tbsp

Table salt

1 tsp

Chili powder

½ tsp, chipotle variety

Canned diced tomatoes

28 oz, petite variety

Canned black beans

15½ oz, rinsed and drained

Frozen corn

1 cup(s)

Low sodium vegetable broth

1½ cup(s)

Cooked farro

1 cup(s)

Reduced fat sour cream

6 Tbsp

Reduced fat cheddar cheese

6 Tbsp, sharp variety

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray foil with nonstick spray.
  2. Spread squash on half of baking sheet and poblano peppers on other half. Lightly spray vegetables with nonstick spray. Bake, stirring once, until peppers are tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer peppers to plate. Spread out squash and return to oven. Bake until squash is tender, about 10 minutes longer.
  3. Spray Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and chipotle chile powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, broth, and roasted poblano peppers to Dutch oven and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in squash and farro and simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream and cheese.
  4. Serving size: about 1 1/3 cups chili, 1 tbsp sour cream, and 1 tbsp cheese

Notes

To get 1 cup cooked farro, cook 1/2 cup dry farro in 2 cups lightly salted water until tender, about 25 minutes; drain. Make extra farro and serve it instead of rice as a side dish with another meal.