Slow-Cooker Vegan Chili

Grab your crock pot for this hearty and easy vegan chili, which is chock-full of great-tasting and good-for-you ingredients, including pinto and black beans, red pepper, tomatoes and butternut squash. Once a little chopping is done, all you have to do is dump the ingredients in the slow cooker, making this colorful veggie chili the perfect weeknight dinner. A garnish of fresh avocado and chopped cilantro is a nice touch.”

Ingredients

4 cups ½-inch-diced butternut squash (about 1 small)
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium no-chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added petite-diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon salt
2 medium avocados, sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1Combine squash, onion, bell pepper, garlic, broth, black beans, pinto beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Mash some of the squash to thicken the broth. Serve topped with avocado and garnish with cilantro, if desired.