Warm up on chilly evenings with this easy to make and low acid Gluten Free Smoky Pumpkin Chili. It’s gluten free, nut free, dairy free, and bean free.
This time of year is perfect for pumpkin recipes, but I use pumpkin all year round in many savory recipes in place of tomato sauce. Cooked tomatoes seem to cause reflux for our family, so we tend to avoid cooked tomatoes. I started using pumpkin puree as a tomato sauce alternative a couple years ago and I love it!
If you want to try using pumpkin in place of tomato sauce but aren’t sure about it, go half-and-half tomato sauce and pumpkin and see if you like it. I usually end up making spaghetti sauce this way, too, and it has made a big difference.
If you have regular acid reflux problems, try switching out your tomato sauce with pumpkin puree and see if that helps! I also like mixing in a bit of coconut milk in my tomato sauces to help cut the acid of the sauce as well (I added a drizzle of coconut milk to the top of the chili in the photo).
Another alternative is to make your sauces and chili with a roasted red pepper puree rather than a tomato sauce/puree, just like in my Shrimp with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. This adds a great flavor to recipes, it’s easy to make, and you still get the great red color in your sauces and soups.
This recipe is tomato free, but it is not completely free of nightshade plants. The red bell pepper is a night shade plant and the seasonings and sausage contain nightshade as well (in the ground chili pepper).
If you are very sensitive to nightshades, you can try this recipe without the red bell pepper and replace the seasonings and sausage with diet-appropriate alternatives such as plain ground turkey or another variety of chicken sausage.
Gluten Free Smoky Pumpkin Chili
Gluten free; Free of: dairy, soy, beans, eggs, tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 12 ounces Al Fresco Buffalo-Style Chicken Sausage casings removed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoke
- 2 cups chicken or beef stock
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until they begin to soften.
- Add the chicken sausage to the skillet and break up thoroughly as it cooks through.
- As the sausage cooks, add the seasonings and the liquid smoke and mix thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the chicken stock and the pumpkin puree.
- Once the sausage has cooked completely, add in the pumpkin/stock mixture and the quinoa. Stir together thoroughly.
- Simmer on medium heat until completely heated through.
- Serve garnished with sliced green onions and a drizzle of coconut milk.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist.
I have made this recipe 5 times now and still can’t get enough of it. I love it for breakfast. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Thank you Cathy! I am so glad you love it 🙂 You have some fabulous looking recipes on your blog!
That chili looks good!
Thanks Dad!