Crockpot Chipotle Four Bean & Butternut Chili

(Foreward: chili never ever photographs well.  End.)

For a long time, I’ve been wanting to figure out an easy crockpot
chili that uses dry beans.  They’re cheaper and better for you and I far
prefer the texture, especially after they’ve been cooked into a chili. 
But pre-cooking the beans adds an extra 30 seconds of putting them in
the pressure cooker that I evidently don’t have, what with all my
reading of Christmas books and snitching of (still) leftover Halloween candy.

My schedule, I know.  It astounds you.

For
those of you similarly afflicted, this chili is it.  THE chili.  Lots
of beans, veggies, great smoky flavor even while being vegetarian.  And
uses plain old dry beans!  Hallelujah.

1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry black beans
1/2 cup dry white beans (I used Great Northern)
1/2 cup dry kidney beans
1/2 cup dry garbanzo beans (I’ve also subbed quinoa for one kind of beans)
1 small or 1/2 one large butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced*
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (or two if you like a little more kick)
2 T cumin
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder 
2 t cinnamon
2 t oregano
2 t salt
6-7 cups water (enough to cover your beans by about half an inch)

Add everything to the crockpot and
stir.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Serve with cornbread and a big salad.

*I’ve also thrown in other assorted root veggies we’ve had lying around from our CSA – most notably turnips, which fit in just fine, bless everything, since we have them coming out our ears.