Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup is a spicy vegetarian soup that’s going to be a hit with all the butternut squash fans! And if you skip the optional sour cream this slightly-spicy recipe is vegan. 

PIN the Butternut Squash Soup to try it later!

I’m  a well-documented fan of butternut squash, so you it’s surprising I haven’t made more soups using my favorite winter squash. It’s partly because I love savory squash dishes, but I don’t really understand the appeal of those sweet butternut squash soups that many people like. No surprise then that this Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup is savory and slightly spicy from the Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) that’s stirred in at the end. I ate my soup with a generous dollop of sour cream, but if you skip the sour cream this meatless soup is vegan.

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This soup would make a lovely Meatless dinner, and if you’re cooking for a family I might sprinkle some crushed tortilla chips into the soup for the kids.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• butternut squash
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• onion
• celery
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
• ground cumin (affiliate link)
• can of black beans
• red bell pepper
• cilantro
• Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) or other jalapeno hot sauce of your choice

What if you’re not a cilantro fan?

If you have those anti-cilantro tastebuds, I’d use thinly sliced green onion instead of cilantro.

Want more ideas for butternut squash?

Use My Top Ten Recipes for Butternut Squash to see more of my butternut squash faves or check out Butternut Squash Recipes to see all my recipes using this tasty winter squash!

Steps for making Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup:

(Scroll down for complete recipe including nutritional information.)

1. Butternut squash can be a challenge to peel and cut up, but for this soup you just cut the squash in half, scrape out seeds, and roast the squash until it’s tender enough to scrape away from the skin. Let squash cool until you can scoop it out of the skin.
2. Heat the olive oil and saute the onion and celery until soft, about 7 minutes; then add the minced garlic and saute 2-3 minutes more.
3. Add two cups of the vegetable stock to the onion-celery mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. When the squash is cool, scrape the flesh away from the skin and mix it with the other 4 cups of broth and the ground cumin.  (This is a giant 8-cup measuring cup.)
5. Add that mixture to the soup pot and simmer about 20 minutes more, then use an Immersion blender (affiliate link) or food processor to puree the soup. (Blogger error; I forgot to take a photo of the soup being pureed, but I used my immersion blender.)
6. While the mixture simmers, rinse the black beans with cold water and let them drain.
7. Also chop the cilantro and red bell pepper.
8. Add the beans, red bell pepper, and cilantro to the pureed soup mixture and simmer about 15-20 minutes more.
9. Stir in desired amount of Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) and serve hot, with a dollop of low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt if desired.

More Meatless Soups with Butternut Squash:

Butternut Squash, Peanut, and Chipotle Soup ~ The Perfect Pantry
Butternut Squash and Kale Soup ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Vegan Butternut Squash and Chickpea Soup ~ The Shiksa in the Kitchen
Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash and Peanut Soup ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Thai Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup ~ Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Try This Next Keto Short Rib Chili

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs.)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, for seasoning squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1 T minced garlic
• 6 cups vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth (or slightly more, if you’d like a thinner soup)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin (or more)
• one 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped small
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, optional (plus more to garnish soup if desired)
• 1 T Green Tabasco Sauce (or other jalapeno hot sauce of your choice)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven or toasted oven to 400F/200C.
2. Using a large chef’s knife, cut butternut squash in half and use a sharp spoon to scoop out seeds.
3. Place squash on a baking sheet and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
4. Roast squash until it is soft enough to pierce easily with a fork, and starting to slightly brown, about 50-60 minutes.
5. Let squash cool enough to handle.
6. While squash is roasting, chop onion and celery and mince the garlic.  (I used fresh garlic chopped with my  favorite garlic chopper and then minced with a knife.)
7. Heat olive oil in large non-stick soup pot and saute onions and celery until they’re soft, about 7 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
9. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and simmer the mixture about 10 minutes.
10. As soon as the squash has cooled enough to handle, scrape the flesh away with the skin and mix it with the other 4 cups of broth and the ground cumin.
11. Add this mixture to the soup pot and simmer about 20 minutes; then use an Immersion blender (affiliate link), blender, or food processor to puree the soup.  (I used an immersion blender, which is by far the easiest way to do it; if you only have a blender or food processor, be very careful with the hot soup.)
12. While the soup simmers, rinse the black beans well with cold water and let them drain in a colander.
13. Chop the cilantro and red bell pepper.
14. After you’re pureed the soup add the beans, red bell pepper, and cilantro and simmer about 15-20 minutes more, adding a little more vegetable stock if you’d like a thinner soup.
15. Stir in the Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) to taste and serve hot, garnished with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt if desired and tortilla chips if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 172Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1330mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 9gSugar: 9gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Butternut Squash Black Beans Soup is a healthy soup for the original South Beach Diet, but the use of butternut squash makes it limited to phase 2 or 3, and of course do not serve with tortilla chips for South Beach. It’s too high in carbs for most low-carb eating plans.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2012. It was last updated with more information in 2021.

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food? 

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

Popular Recipe Cream of Asparagus Soup – Dairy Free Keto Recipe

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone in short ribs
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• ⅓ cup beef bone broth

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.

• Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.

• Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.

• Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Short Rib Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)

Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319

% Daily Value*

Fat 35.4g54%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1.2g5%

Protein 22.6g45%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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