Name: Easy Sweet Potato Chili
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper; 1 green bell pepper; 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 green chili pepper (jalapeño), finely chopped; 1 tablespoon red chili powder; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 450 g (1 lb) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes; 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 400 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock; 2 teaspoons dark cocoa powder; Salt and pepper to taste

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This easy sweet potato chili is hearty, flavourful and loaded with protein. It's a naturally vegan chili that's also low-fat and quick to make on a busy weeknight.

If you love sweet potatoes and warming flavours, this vegan sweet potato chili should be right up your alley.

Besides being extra nutritious from the mix of sweet potatoes and beans, this sweet potato veggie chili is also incredibly tasty.

It's just the perfect one-pot meal to try on a busy weeknight because it requires very little hands-on time.

Serve this vegan sweet potato chili with your favourite tortilla chips or cornbread.

Leftovers taste even better, so you can make a double batch and have the next couple of lunches sorted.

Why you'll love this sweet potato chili

It has warming flavours. The mix of red chili powder, ground cumin, cinnamon and cocoa powder infuses this vegan sweet potato chili with amazingly warming flavours.
It's a one-pot recipe. If you're not a fan of washing up, this sweet potato chili recipe is for you - it's all cooked in one pot.
It's a versatile recipe. You can easily mix it up when it comes to the veggies and beans to make this chili your own.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - You only need a bit of olive oil to saute the onion and bell pepper. If you don't cook with oil, you can saute the veggies in some veggie stock instead.

Onion - Any kind of onion works in this chilli. I used brown onions, but red onions are perfect too.

Bell peppers - I like to use various bell pepper colours in this chili, but you can use any colour you want.

Aromatics - A mix of garlic, red chili powder, ground cumin and ground cinnamon creates an amazing layering of flavourings for this sweet potato chili.

Sweet potatoes - Cut the sweet potato into ½ inch cubes so they cook quickly and evenly.

Chopped tomatoes - Canned chopped tomatoes are great for this chili. Alternatively, use a can of plum tomatoes crushed by hand.

Beans - A mix of black beans and cannellini adds some variety to this chili, but you can use any kind of beans you want.

Cocoa powder - adding some dark cocoa powder to this chili makes it taste richer because it boosts the other flavours.

How to make vegan sweet potato chili

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and saute the onion and bell peppers for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until slightly softened.

Add the garlic and green chili pepper and continue to cook for another minute. Next, stir in the red chili powder, ground cumin and ground cinnamon and cook for a further minute until fragrant.

Stir in the sweet potato cubes, chopped tomatoes, black beans, cannellini beans, vegetable stock and cocoa powder.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Don't forget to stir from time to time.

Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread, topped with freshly chopped coriander and lime wedges, if you like.

Leftovers and storage

This black bean sweet potato chili will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. If reheating on the stovetop, you may need to add a bit of water or veggie stock.
The chili is also perfect for freezing. Use freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags for individual portions. The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Recipe notes and tips

This sweet potato black bean chili tastes even better the next day because the flavours have more time to develop. Leftovers make an excellent lunch!
You can use dried beans for this chili, but you'll need to soak them overnight and then pre-cook them for about 30 minutes or until tender before adding them to the chili.
If you'd like this veggie chili to be very hot, don't deseed the green chili and/or use a hot red chili powder.

If you liked this easy sweet potato chili, you might also like some of my other one-pot vegan recipes:

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Yield: 6