Ingredients

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1lb (~0.5kg) ground beef (or mince of choice)
1-2 400mL can beans (black beans or pinto beans are my favourites)
1 800mL can (~3 cups) pure pumpkin purée
3 cups beef broth (or broth of choice, or water)

2-3 tbsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it!)
2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper (or a few cracks of fresh cracked black pepper)
pinch cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 squares dark chocolate (70% or higher)

optional: 2 heaping cups frozen corn

Method

1. Add diced onions to a large pot and then turn on the heat to medium/medium-high.
2. Stir onions to prevent sticking as the pot heats up. If your pot is not non-stick, add 1 tbsp water to help sweat the onions.
3. Once onions are translucent, add the minced beef. Stir to break up meat into chunks and combine with onions. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When the meat has just lost its pink colour, add in all of the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
5. Place a lid on the pot and bring the chili to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low. and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. If adding optional frozen corn, add this at the end of the cooking time, and continue to heat for 3 minutes, or until corn is heated through.
7. Serve with desired toppings and sides or store in containers in the fridge or freezer.

Notes:

1. For a vegan version, substitute meat for more beans, prepared vegan mince, crumbled tempeh, or hydrated TVP (textured vegetable protein).
2. If you would like your chili to be less chunky (ex. for a hot dog topping or cincinnati style chili) I highly recommend mincing your beef further before you start cooking it. Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables, and mince the meat using a large knife to make it break apart into a finer texture when cooking.
3. You can always make your own pure pumpkin purée at home, I just use canned for convenience.
4. Dark to bitter chocolate adds richness and depth to the chili without adding a sweet chocolate flavour. If you only have semi-sweet chocolate on hand, omit using the maple syrup. You can also use cocoa for depth of flavour, however you will not get the extra richness of cocoa butter – I have not tried this with cocoa myself so I cannot give exact measurements, but I would not use more than 1 tbsp.
5. You can use any sweetener (liquid or granulated) instead of pure maple syrup. This may seem like a strange addition, but if you check any prepared chili seasoning packages you will find sugar as one of the main ingredients – it simply takes away blandness and elevates the bitter chocolate and acidic vinegar.
6. If you forget to season the meat layer before adding in the rest of your ingredients, this dish may have a bland flavour that lingers if you serve it immediately. Luckily, chili is the perfect leftover/freezer meal – if you add a bit more seasoning to the chili and then chill overnight, the meat will become seasoned as it sits in the “sauce”.
7. My recommended toppings: lime, finely diced onion (red, green, or white), roasted butternut squash, chopped cilantro or parsley, guacamole, cheese (shredded goat’s cheddar, crumbled feta, or crumbled queso añejo), vegan sour cream
8. My recommended sides: crispy potato skins, rice, corn tortilla chips or fresh tortillas, corn bread, on a hot dog, on pasta (cincinnati style), garlic toast