This Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is a vegan, gluten-free recipe that’s so easy to prepare, bursting with flavor, and delicious. And it gets better by the day, so make a pot on Sunday to enjoy or week or freeze for a healthy lunch or dinner later in the month.
I love a good hearty beef chili, ground turkey chili, or sausage chili for fall-winter chili recipes. But then there are times I want to skip the meat and enjoy a hearty vegetarian chili filled with beans and veggies, and that’s when I turn to the Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- One-pot recipe. This easy sweet potato chili recipe comes together in one-pot making preparation and cleaning up a breeze.
- Pantry meal. If you keep a stocked healthy pantry, then it’s likely whenever you make this vegan chili, all you’ll need to do is grab sweet potatoes.
- Packed with nutrition. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber and fall into the good carb category with their low glycemic index. The beans add another dose of fiber and a good amount of protein. It’s also low in calories, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
- Delicious. Who would’ve thought that sweet potatoes and black beans pair so well together? Well, they do. And the smoky flavors of the seasoning bring a nice balance to the sweetness of the potatoes and honey.
- Make-ahead. This sweet potato and black bean chili recipe get better by the day! You can make it during meal prep for the week or freeze it into portions for a quick healthy meal later.
Ingredients
- Seasonings. The delicious flavors in this vegan chili recipe start with a seasoning blend of chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, and granulated garlic.
- Sweet potatoes. This superfood gives the chili a chunky texture and sweet flavor that balances out the spices.
- Vegetable broth. Use an organic, high-quality vegetable broth for the best flavor. I like Wegman’s and Pacific Foods brands.
- Black beans. Beans add more texture and subtle flavor to the chili. You can swap in kidney beans or any favorite chili bean.
- Diced tomatoes. I don’t think it would be chili with some tomato involved. Diced tomatoes give the right amount of flavor without taking over.
- Honey. Just the right amount to bring all sweet, savory, and spicy flavors together.
Cooking Tips
Bulk up the veggies. I like to keep this sweet potato chili recipe simple, but you can certainly add in onions, mushrooms, red bell pepper, poblano peppers, or other vegetables you have on hand.
Add extra flavor. You can use chili-spiced beans, chili-style or fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or throw in a can of green chilis to add flavor to this versatile recipe.
Adjust the heat. The chipotle chili powder gives this chili a spicy kick. If you prefer a milder chili, remove it and adjust the seasonings to your taste. If you want spicier, add in a bit of cayenne pepper.
Serve it over brown rice or quinoa. This chili is hearty and filling by itself, but serve it over brown rice, quinoa, or your favorite grain if you want some extra bulk. You can also enjoy this with tortilla chips.
You can add meat. I know this is a vegan recipe, but you could switch it up for the carnivores. I love ground Italian sausage in this recipe, but ground beef, chicken, or turkey will work too. Use 1lb pound of meat in this recipe. Also, if you don’t need this to be a vegan or vegetarian recipe, chicken broth will work great.
How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
- In a small bowl, mix all the spices and set aside. Skin the sweet potato and cut into 1-inch cubes. If you cut the sweet potatoes larger then you might need to add extra cooking time until the potatoes are tender.
- Then in a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and spice mixture. Cook until spices are fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, black beans, diced tomatoes, and honey. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 – 50 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
- Taste for salt and pepper.
- Serve the chili hot. You can garnish it with avocado, sour cream or plain yogurt, cilantro, and a little shredded cheddar cheese. Of course, use vegan products if you want. Also, try squeezing in lime juice for a fresh flavor.
Our favorite Dutch Oven to Cook Chili
Crockpot instructions
Add all of the ingredients (except olive oil) into the crockpot insert and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Storage tips
For the week.
After the chili cools, place it into an airtight container and refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend storing in individual containers for a quick grab and go for lunch or dinner.
To freeze.
Like most of my chili, soup, and stews, this chili recipe freezes great! I have even doubled the recipe many times to stock my freezer.
After the chili cools, place into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Again, it’s helpful to freeze into portion-controlled containers or use 1-cup silicone trays such as Souper Cubes.
Other healthy chili recipes
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Equipment
- 5 1/2 quart dutch oven or large soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 15 ounce can black beans drain and rinsed
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all the spices and set aside.
- Skin the sweet potato and cut into 1-inch cubes. If you cut the sweet potatoes larger then you might need to add extra cooking time until the potatoes are tender.
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and spice mixture. Cook until spices are fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, black beans, diced tomatoes, and honey. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 – 50 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
- Taste for salt and pepper.
- Serve the chili hot. You can garnish it with avocado, sour cream or plain yogurt, cilantro, and a little shredded cheddar cheese. Of course, use vegan products if you want. Also, try squeezing in lime juice for a fresh flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it!
Maria says
Very good. Great to make ahead for groups of all dietary needs,
Deb Snyder says
It says this is 60 WW points! Is that possible??
Deb Snyder says
Oh silly me I just figured that was the carbs, it’s 7 WW points.
martha@ simple-nourished-living says
This looks delicious. I made a pumpkin black bean chili in the slow cooker last year that was good. But I think the combination of sweet potatoes and black beans sounds even better. I think I’ll try to adapt this for the slow cooker 🙂
Ann Terranova says
I’m not a fan of honey, can it be omitted?