This smoky Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili is going to rock your world! Honestly, it's the best vegetarian chili to ever grace my kitchen. 100% a game changer.
I'm about to say something bold: this Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili will convert any meat lover. I know, it's a bold statement. But after a few years of hearing from you guys about this recipe... I stand by my statement confidently. Chili is an ESSENTIAL recipe during the fall/winter. And you won't miss the meat with all the black beans, sweet potatoes and spices in this one.
Loaded with chili powder, chipotle peppers, cumin, beans, tomatoes and quinoa, it's basically a giant party in a pot and it's addictive. Make it, enjoy it, and then take it for lunch the next day and make everyone jealous. I tend to make a double batch of this on the weekends and then freeze small portions to pull out when needed. It freezes like a charm. Just make it, let it cool, portion it into small containers and then freeze. When you're ready to serve, take it out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter until it's no longer totally frozen, and then re-heat either in a microwave or in a non-stick skillet with an extra splash of stock to loosen it up. Bingo.
As far as substitutions for this goes:
- Butternut Squash is a great substitute for sweet potatoes
- Farro or rice also works in place of quinoa. You might need a tiny bit extra time for farro, and a little extra liquid. But both are delish.
- Black beans can be substituted with any of your favorite canned bean. If you want to make your own beans, this is my favorite recipe
Stuck in a dinner rut? Looking for new delicious dinner ideas? Check out my roundup of 50+ easy dinner ideas here.
Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 2 extra teaspoons
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ½ cup dried quinoa
- 4 teaspoons lime juice
- serving suggestions: avocado, cilantro, crema, grated cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy bottom pot with the oil over medium high heat.
- Add the sweet potato and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin and salt and stir to combine.
- Add the stock, tomatoes, black beans and quinoa and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir to incorporate.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes until the quinoa is fully cooked and the sweet potatoes are soft and the entire mixture is thick like a chili.
- Add the lime juice and remove the pot from the heat. Season with salt as needed.
- Garnish with avocado, cilantro, crema or cheese before serving.
Can we skip the quinoa? Or is there an alternative? It bothers my stomach
rice or farro is delish too
I make this all the time! It is a favorite. Did you update the cook time for the quinoa from 15-25 to 30-40?
My print out of this recipe is from 2015!! The recipe now says fire roasted diced tomatoes. I have made it with plain diced tomatoes and added a 4 oz can of mild green chiles for heat. It depends on what is in the pantry.
you can try it, make very simple
Trying to do more plant based cooking… this chili is the right combo os sweet and spicy! Leftovers might be good wrapped in a tortilla! We loved it!!
Just made this last night and instead of quinoa I added Trader Joe's soy chorizo. So simple and so great!
This is SO delicious!!!! I found this recipe through the baby food page and just left out the chipotle powder. My 7 month old DEVOURED hers (I used an immersion blender) and I got to enjoy the meal as well. Been trying to find ways to feed my baby the same food as me and this was the perfect way to start. Definitely the best veggie chili I’ve ever made.
This is fantastic ! Have made it several times...thanks
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