Comfort food is pretty much all I eat when the temperatures dip in the fall and winter. I just want warm, cozy, one-pot-meals of pure goodness and that's exactly what you get with my Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.
This Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili will stick to your ribs (in a good way!), nourish your body and it is packed with veggies. If you listened to our episode on the podcast with Dr. Tracey, she recommends eating 30 different veggies per week to support your microbiome. Eat this chili you'll be well on your way!
If you have a chili powder blend, you can definitely use that. I know the Simply Organic brand has a blend but I just mix up my own flavours - then I can tailor the flavour to precisely what I want.
I used cumin seeds (which I ground in my mortar and pestle for really potent flavour) along with cayenne, paprika, and red chili flakes. You could use smoked paprika if you like that smoky flavour (I do not), but I know many people love it.
This totally plant-based chili is just as it should be - thick, flavourful, and packed to the brim with veggies!
All the fibre in the veggies and the plant-based protein in the black beans make this chili very satisfying.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
- 100% plant-based vegan
- Kid-friendly (add the spices slowly, not at all once to avoid a chili that is too spicy for little ones)
- Great to make on the weekend and have healthy leftovers for busy weekdays
Here's my recipe:
Mains & Sides
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp red hot chili flakes
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp sweet or smokey paprika
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped
- 2 cans (796mL / 28 fl oz) diced tomatoes (BPA-free)
- 2 cans (398mL / 14 fl oz) black beans, drained and rinsed (BPA-free)
- 1 can (156mL / 5.5 oz) tomato paste
- 3/4 cup water (optional)
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions and garlic and sautee for a few minutes. Add cumin and mix with onions and garlic. You can add all the remaining spices here or later one. Up to you.
- Add carrots and celery to pot and sautee for a few minutes. Add more olive oil if needed. You can also add a splash of water for moisture.
- Add sweet potato and continue to sautee. Now add yellow pepper, 2 cans tomatoes, black beans and tomato paste. Add remaining spices. Add water if needed.
- Simmer chili on low for 20-25 minutes to let the flavours mingle and the vegetables become tender.
- Enjoy right away or refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Serves 6 to 8 people
If you're making this chili for a little one or someone who doesn't like spices, then half the cayenne and red hot chili flakes amount and give a taste test before adding more.
This chili goes great with some quinoa or brown rice. I also love making a kale salad for a full meal because the flavours complement each other.
If you make this, please be share to let me know in the comments below what you think! Also, let me know if there are any recipes you'd love to see here on Joyous Health.
Be sure to connect with me on Instagram and on our Facebook community page!
Stay warm and joyous!
Joy xo
The Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is delicious. My husband is always looking for the meat in a meal, but I must tell you he was completely satisfied. This one is a keeper.
Replyhappy to hear that!
I made many of your recipes and they are all received well I would really like to see the nuitrional analysis of your recipes included. I'm supposed to be on a low sodium diet so knowing this information would be helpful Would appreciate hearing your response Thanks
ReplyHi Ann! You can put this information into an app on your phone like "myfitnesspal" or something like that and it will give you fairly accurate information. I don't put them in because I really want to encourage people away from counting cals, carbs, fats etc. My philosophy is to use your own wisdom and intuitively eat. However, I realize some people, like yourself, require more guidance since it sounds like you're on a therapeutic diet but that's not the majority of my community and for the majority for all the reasons I just mentioned I don't want anyone measuring their food in that way. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I hope that apps helps! :)
Making this right now and it's not clear whether to drain the tomatoes and/or the beans! Can you help fast?
ReplyAlways drain and rinse the beans. You don't have to drain the tomatoes. I will adjust the recipe so it's more clear :)
Can I add lentils to this? Or would that soak up all the liquid
ReplyYou can but if you're using dry lentils you'll need to add the appropriate amount of water, however, I'm sure that will be delicious. Enjoy!
I just made this last week (I must have known you were going to post this again!). This is the second time I have made it and reduced the spice to half because last time it was a little too much heat for me. I needed to add a little salt and that really helped bring the flavors together. You might add to the recipe, “salt as needed”. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
ReplyAwesome, so glad you loved it and found a flavour that works for your tastebuds :)
I made the black bean and sweet potato chili today. I knew that I would like it because I love to try new things and I love vegetarian meals, but my 17 year old son who is 100% carnivore and my husband are a different story. My son even mentioned as he sat down to eat “there’s no meat in this?” But both loved it so much. My husband couldn’t stop raving as he was eating. I literally had tears in my eyes, I was that happy.
ReplyI'm so happy to hear your son and hubby loved it too. It's delicious!