Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

6 people
45 min

This Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili comes together in less than an hour, is packed with flavor and makes a perfect Meatless Monday meal!

Vegetarian-Friendly

While we aren’t vegetarians in my house, I try to create some meatless options that my family will love. It creates some variety while also saving on purchasing meat for every meal. This Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili is made with vegetable broth, tomato paste, sweet potatoes, black beans, onions and seasonings. I promise you won’t even miss the meat!

 

Get Out Your Cauldron

It’s almost Halloween! My girls are so excited to transform into a butterfly and a chicken later this week. Butterflies wear a jacket and sweatpants under their wings, right? With the weather we’ve been having in Minnesota and the already “unique” year that it’s been, my family is planning a more low-key day with a few drive-thru candy grabs and visiting some family. Before the candy gorging begins, I want to fill our bellies with something hearty and warm.

Start out the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili with chopping all the veggies. Chop a small onion and red pepper into a small dice. Peel and dice 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes. You want the cubes to be fairly small so they cook quickly. Two sweet potatoes will yield 3-4 cups.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (or cauldron… it’s Halloween after all) heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. 

Add cubed sweet potatoes along with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Continue to sauté another 5-7 minutes until potatoes begin to soften. Then, mix in tomato paste.    Add undrained black beans and vegetable broth. Not draining the beans adds the right amount of liquid to the chili. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.   

   Remove cover and using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, mash some of the black beans and sweet potatoes. You don’t want them completely mashed, but this helps thicken the chili. This step is optional, but I love the texture it gives to the soup. Leave chili uncovered and continue to simmer another 10-15 minutes.    It’s Dinner Time!

This Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili goes great with tortilla chips for dipping. Top with red onion, sour cream, cilantro and lime juice to finish everything off.

Although so many things in the past 8 months look different from what we are used to, I encourage you to look for any sort of positive you can find. Yes we may be stuck inside more often and no big community events are happening, but have you taken a step back and been grateful for the new opportunities you have been given? Maybe it’s that you can sit together as a family and eat dinner when normally you would have been too busy to do so. Maybe your family has found a new hobby or gone on new outdoor adventures together. I encourage you try turning what you would consider a burden into a blessing.

Some other kid-friendly recipes:

More Hot Dish

Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Stay safe friends & Happy Halloween!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
Recipe details
  • 6  people
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 45 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes cubed
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 3 15 oz. black beans undrained
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano dried
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions

Start by chopping all the veggies for the chili. Chop a small onion and a red pepper. Peel sweet potatoes & dice into 1 inch cubes. 2 medium sweet potatoes will yield about 3 cups diced. Set aside.
In Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion & red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Add cubed sweet potatoes along with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Continue to sauté another 5-7 minutes until potatoes begin to soften. Mix in tomato paste.
Add undrained black beans and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium low heat 15 minutes.
Remove cover and using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, mash some of the black beans and sweet potatoes. You don't want them completely mashed, but this helps thicken the chili.
Leave uncovered and continue to simmer another 10-15 minutes.
Tips
  • Serve with tortilla chips for dipping
  • Top with sour cream, red onion, cilantro and a squirt of lime juice
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Comments
  • Erin Erin on Mar 11, 2021

    I think I’d just use water in this instead of veggie broth. With the bean ‘juice’ added, I’m guessing the sodium content is a bit high. But it does sound savory & tasty.

    • See 3 previous
    • Erin Erin on Mar 12, 2021

      You can always add a bit of cornstarch to thicken it.

      I've been reading ingredient labels for decades. It’s amazing the stuff we eat.

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