Black bean, butternut squash and quinoa chili recipe

Some people think that vegetarians and vegans miss out on a lot of delicious foods because they choose not to eat meat. This simply isn't true, as this chili recipe proves.

BLACK BEAN, BUTTERNUT SQUASH and QUINOA CHILI 
Ingredients

• olive oil 
• 1 large yellow onion, diced 
• 1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 stalks celery, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder 
• 2 teaspoons chili powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• salt to taste 
• cayenne pepper to taste 
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small to medium size butternut squash, peeled and cubed 
• 1 15 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, onion, red pepper, celery. Sauté until the onions are soft and clear, then stir in garlic and cook an additional minute. Add water, tomato paste and all seasonings. Combine everything in your slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 hours. Before serving, taste and add additional seasoning if desired.