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If you want something that is both hearty and healthy, this sweet potato chili recipe fits the bill. Loaded with sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, quinoa and beans, it really is a great vegetarian option.
If you search sweet potato on Chisel & Fork, you'll see quite a few recipes. You may wonder why? Well when I'm looking for something vegetarian, sweet potatoes are my go-to. They are just so versatile and a great way to eat healthy.
While I've shared other chili recipes like my Instant Pot vegetarian chili and just good old-fashioned chili, this sweet potato chili recipe is my definitely my go-to.
Being a food blogger myself, I'm always following a ton of food bloggers. One of my favorites is Minimalist Baker. She makes delicious vegetarian recipes and has inspired quite a few of my own including this sweet potato chili.
Like any vegetarian chili recipe, it's better the longer you cook it but can be ready to eat in an hour if you want. Oh and there is no question it's better the next day. Chili just always is for some reason!
So with it being the start of soup season, this chili is the perfect compromise to have something hearty but healthy.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil - used to cook the veggies.
- Sweet potatoes, red onion, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, garlic - where the flavor comes from.
- Chili powder, cumin, paprika, cocoa powder, ground coriander, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt - enhances the flavor.
- Vegetable broth - low-sodium is best.
- Fire roasted tomatoes - adds some heat.
- Quinoa - adds nutrients and makes the chili more filling.
- Tomato paste - gives a rich tomato flavor.
- Black and kidney beans - added protein.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven and add sweet potatoes, onion and peppers. Cook until onions are translucent, about minutes.
- Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute.
- Stir in vegetable broth, tomatoes, quinoa and tomato paste. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- With 30 minutes left, stir in the beans. Chili is ready when the sweet potatoes are tender.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are super popular these days and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:
- Great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Promotes gut health.
- Regulates blood pressure and sugar levels.
- Helps with keeping healthy vision.
- May improve brain function.
Best Side Dishes for Chili
There are so many side dishes out there that go with chili but here are some of my favorites:
- Cornbread muffins
- Sweet potato fries
- Fried onion rings
- Beer bread
- Grilled cheese
- Flaky buttermilk biscuits
FAQs
Yes. There a quite a few options like acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin or parsnips. All are slightly different and would give a unique flavor to your chili, but you can't go wrong with any of them.
If you want it milder, omit the cayenne pepper. If you like more heat, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or keep the seeds from the peppers.
The old saying goes that chili tastes better the second day and I don’t disagree. You just give more time for the flavors to meld together. If you put your chili in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last 3-4 days. You can also place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Be consistent with the size you dice the vegetables so everything cooks evenly.
- Use quality low-sodium vegetable broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
- Don't skip toppings like cheese, avocado or sour cream. These ingredients all help enhance the flavor.
Other Soup Recipes
- Beer Cheese Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Butternut Squash Apple Soup
If you’ve tried this sweet potato chili recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½" cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1 medium red onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (28 oz can) fire roasted tomatoes
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz can) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc..
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 4-6 quart dutch oven. Add the diced sweet potatoes, onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally. Once the onions start turning translucent (about 3-5 minutes) turn the heat down to medium low.
- Add the garlic and spices to the mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, quinoa and tomato paste and stir. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. With 30 minutes remaining, stir in black beans and kidney beans. Stir occasionally. Chili is ready when sweet potatoes are tender. The longer you cook the better however. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
- Serve chili and garnish with cheddar cheese, avocado and sour cream if desired.
Notes
- Be consistent with the size you dice the vegetables so everything cooks evenly.
- Use quality low-sodium vegetable broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
- If you like more heat, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or keep the seeds from the peppers.
- Don't skip toppings like cheese, avocado or sour cream. These ingredients all help enhance the flavor.
Chris says
A vegetarian chili sounds interesting!
Jamie says
This sounds delicious, however it would be helpful to know approximately what a serving size would be (i.e. 1-1/2 cups, or whatever). Is there any way you can add this information to your recipes? Thank you!
Ryan says
It is about 1 1/2 cups or 8 bowls worth of chili.