Sweet potato black bean chili is a wholesome, flavorful vegetarian chili with earthy, smoky, sweet and spicy flavors. You can make this chili using a slow cooker or stove top cooking method.
This sweet potato black bean chili comes together quickly on the stovetop, or it can simmer in your slow cooker. It's an easy, super-healthy vegan chili that's likely to provide leftovers for another meal. Hooray!
Flavorful, but not spicy, this vegan chili might just even win over your littlest eaters. You can control the heat by adding more chili powder, spicy canned green chiles or by serving hot sauce at the dinner table.
When you're craving chili, I also love my super-flavorful Instant Pot vegetarian chili. For meat lovers, try Quick and Easy Turkey Chili or Instant Pot White Bean and Turkey Chili.
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Ingredients
You can make this recipe with only black beans, or choose a combination of black beans and pinto beans. Both types of beans go really well with sweet potato.
This chili has a mix of flavors and ingredients that complement the sweet potatoes and beans, like fire roasted tomatoes and diced green chiles. Quinoa is optional, and gives the chili an earthy flavor and added protein.
A warm blend of spices sets this chili apart from other similar sweet potato chili recipes: chili powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and just a hint of cinnamon
Stove Top Step-by-Step Instructions
Stove Top Step 1: Saute onion, garlic and spices. Add canned beans and tomatoes.
Stove Top Step 2: Add sweet potato, quinoa, green chiles or bell pepper, fresh herbs and water. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Slow Cooker Step-by-Step Instructions
Slow Cooker Step 1: Heat onion and garlic in the microwave for two minutes, to soften.
Slow Cooker Step 2: Add remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW FOR 6 to hours of HIGH for 5 to 7 hours.
Sides and Servings Suggestions
You can serve sweet potato black bean chili with several different sides and in several different ways. It's easy to make leftovers taste new again by serving this chili in a slightly different way the second time around.
Chili Toppings
- Sour cream
- Grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Hot sauce
- Cilantro
- Green onion
- Jalapeno pepper
Sides
Cornbread: Warm, sweet cornbread is perfect with a bowl of chili.
Polenta: Spoon chili over creamy polenta or sliced polenta.
Nachos: Try serving nachos on the side so you can dip warm, cheesy chips into your chili. So good!
Baked Potatoes: Spoon chili over baked potatoes
How to Store Leftovers
This chili keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, giving you plenty of time to enjoy leftovers. Reheat in the microwave, or gently on the stovetop. You can also freeze quinoa chili, in one large freezer bag or divvied up into individual portions in smaller freezer bags. Perfect for lunches!
More Chili Recipes
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Sweet potato black bean chili is a wholesome, flavorful vegetarian chili with earthy, smoky, sweet and spicy flavors. Choose a slow cooker or stove top cooking method.
Toppings are a must! Add green onion, cilantro, grated cheese, crumbled tortilla chips and whatever else you like on chili.
Flavorful, but not spicy, this vegan chili might just even win over your littlest eaters. You can control the heat by adding more chili powder, spicy canned green chiles or by serving hot sauce at the dinner table.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soups, Stews and Chili
- Method: Stove Top or Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- 1 can pinto beans, drained
- 2 medium or 3 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into *½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed with water)
- 1 4-oz can (mild or spicy) diced green chiles OR 1 bell pepper, chopped)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 5 cups water or vegetable broth
Topping Suggestions: cilantro, green onion, Jalapeno pepper, sour cream, grated cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, hot sauce
*The most important thing is that the pieces of sweet potato are all about the same size so they cook evenly. The larger the pieces, the longer they will take to become soft.
Instructions
Stove Top:
- In a large pot or Dutch Oven, warm a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and spices (chili powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon) and saute for about 1 minute more, stirring constantly so the spices don’t stick to the pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients: salt, tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, sweet potato, quinoa, green chiles, parsley, water/broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium-low, half covered with a lid, for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the chili isn’t sticking to the pot. Add up to 1 cup more water if needed. The chili is done when the sweet potato is soft and easily pierced with a fork.
Slow Cooker:
- Put the onion and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Coat lightly in oil. Microwave for 2 minutes, to soften and "bloom" the onion and garlic. If this step is skipped, the onion and garlic might not cook fully in the slow cooker.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir well before putting on the lid. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 4 to 6 hours.
- Add more fresh cilantro, chili powder and salt if needed. The flavors can be muted when cooking for a long time in a slow cooker and you might need to add more.
Notes
Quinoa is optional. It adds and earthy flavor and will absorb liquid as it cooks, making the chili thicker.
Jen
A healthy, filling chili with mild flavor, great for young kids. Don't forget to add lots of toppings!