Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

This healthy vegan sweet potato chili with black beans is incredibly easy to prepare and packed with some delicious warm, hearty flavors. It makes a wholesome vegan meal for those chilly days ahead.

As far as I remember, I have always loved chili and its wonderful warm and comforting flavors. As I’m not such a meat eater however, I tend to go for a vegetarian version. A couple of years ago, I shared an awesome one-pot vegan quinoa chili that is full of plant-based goodness. A chili is easy to make, very forgiving, and perfect to feed a crowd. Not to mention that it freezes beautifully!

Another stew I make often is the comforting lentil curry for which I usually use roasted cauliflower. A little while ago, I decided to make it for my family visiting from France – I knew both kids and grown-ups would love it equally. As I didn’t have cauliflower, I replaced it with roasted diced sweet potatoes. The result was just awesome and everyone asked for seconds. Thing is, sweet potatoes go well in almost any kind of stew.

A healthy vegan sweet potato chili

This time, I adapted my favorite vegan chili recipe, using black beans instead of kidney beans, and upgraded it with this wonderful seasonal ingredient: sweet potatoes. It makes the whole dish full of warm and comforting flavors that makes you want to cozy up on the sofa. You’ll love how healthy this chili is:

• Rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals – Both sweet potatoes and black beans are rich in fiber and have their fair share of essential minerals. Fiber are also found in the other vegetables such as onions and red pepper. Note that sweet potatoes are also remarkably high in vitamin A and C and are often considered among world’s healthiest foods.
• Naturally gluten-free – As for most chili recipes, there is no gluten in this dish, which makes it suitable to gluten-less and gluten-free diets.
• A great source of plant-based protein – Black beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Just 1 cup contains 15 grams of protein.
• A perfect wholesome, satisfying plant-based meal – I promise you won’t miss the meat in this chili recipe. The combination between sweet potatoes, black beans and other vegetables makes the dish perfectly nourishing and satisfying. Also my personal recommendation: serve with a side of rice.

How to prepare this vegan chili?

First, prepare and dice all your vegetables, i.e. sweet potatoes, onions, and red pepper. It will spare you quite some time.

Then, roast the diced sweet potatoes in the oven until they get some color and become slightly crispy on the outside while tender in the inside.

Meanwhile, prepare the chili in one pot. Once you prepared all the ingredients, you’ll notice that this chilly is incredibly simple. Sauté the onions and red pepper together with some olive oil in a pot. Add garlic, spices, and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, then pour in the remaining ingredients: tomato paste, black beans and chopped tomatoes. Note that I use canned beans and tomatoes in the recipe. However, feel free to cook dry beans if you have enough time ahead of you. If using fresh tomatoes, you might need to add a little bit more of tomato paste to give some texture.

In the end, add water, the cinnamon stick, stir well and let simmer for about half an hour. The key is to let simmer long enough so that it gets its darker warm color and a saucy texture. At some point, you might need to add more water if the chili becomes too thick. Always remember to taste and adjust the seasoning at the end. Also, note that a chili usually tastes even better the following day, as spices allowed flavors to develop over time.

Quick vegan stew recipes to warm you up:

• Easy Tomato Red Lentil Stew
• Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
• Spicy Thai Coconut Pumpkin Curry (almost vegan)
• Vegan Lentil Walnut Bolognese

Vegan recipes with sweet potatoes:

• Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Thai Peanut Sweet Potato Wedges
• Spiced Chickpea Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
• Spicy Vegan Sweet Potato Tacos

Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Savory
• Cuisine: Vegan

This healthy vegan sweet potato chili with black beans is incredibly easy to prepare and packed with some delicious warm, hearty flavors. It makes a wholesome vegan meal for those chilly days ahead.

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Ingredients

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For the chili:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, diced
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 pinch of chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste or tomato puree*
• 2 cans (800g) black beans
• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
• 2/3 cup (160ml) water
• 1 cinnamon stick

To serve (optional):

• Fresh coriander
• 1 small jalapeño, sliced
• Vegan sour cream
• Avocado, sliced

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place diced sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl and toss with 2 Tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper.
3. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure sweet potatoes are evenly roasted on all sides.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining Tablespoon of oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper, and leave to fry for a few minutes, then add the garlic. Let cook for another couple of minutes and then add cumin seeds, smoked paprika, chili powder, and sun-dried tomato paste or tomato puree. Give a good stir so everything is well coated, then add the drained black beans, chopped tomatoes, water and cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave for about 25-30 minutes. The chili should be thickening but still saucy, and turning a deep red color while starting to caramelize a little.
5. Stir in the sweet potatoes and keep some extra for serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the chili with the additional roasted sweet potatoes and top, and add extra toppings of your choice and enjoy with white rice.

Notes

* I personally prefer sun-dried tomato paste (or sun-dried tomatoes puréed in a food processor) over tomato paste, but both work in the recipe.

Dairy-Free, Fall, Family-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Soups & Stews, Sweet Potatoes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

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