Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

Sweet potato chili is an easy way to get all those cozy autumn vibes. It's nutritious, vegan and full of fiber. Top with cilantro, avocado and lime juice and you're in for a flavourful and hearty meal!

Welcome to November.  You're likely starting to feel the shift in the air as the temperature slowly begins to drop from here on.  We're still enjoying bits of sunshine on the Island, however, the weather has definitely taken a turn towards winter. The leaves have fallen and thus begins one final bout of yard chores:  raking leaves and turning the garden beds once more before the frosts creep in. I hope you are enjoying the turn of the seasons wherever you are!

This weekend, Steve (my fiance) and I were keen to make something delicious that would last us a few days: Sweet potato chili! There's nothing better than coming home to a meal already prepped and ready to warm, especially on a cold, rainy Monday. The beautiful thing about this chili (and most stews for that matter),  is that it takes on a deeper flavour profile by the next day, so it's akin to having the same meal twice, but slightly different, nay, better.

We love to throw as much vegetable in our stews as possible. Yes, we add potato to chili. Anyway, having realized we were out of regular potato varieties, Steve  ended up tossing in sweet potato much to our delight.  It was a nice touch of contrast to the heat of the chili spice and smokey cumin. I loved it so much I decided to steal my fiance's recipe and blog all about it *wink*.

There are hundreds of chili recipes out there, one for any mood you're in. And whenever we make chili at home, it always ends up different from the last.  One constant remains though, it's a wonderful cold weather meal.  It also a great recipe to use up any left over vegetables or maybe even those home canned tomatoes from your summer hauls...we never really get around to canning tomatoes as they get eaten straight from the  garden, still warm from the sun  *sigh*.

You say you're not a sweet potato fan? No problem! You can easily use whatever potato variety you have on hand. But I do urge you to give this a try, even if solely for novelties sake.

Let me show you how to make our new favourite chili recipe!

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VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHILI

Course Dinner

Keyword chili, sweet potato

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• ½ White Onion diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic finely diced
• ¼ Cup Filtered Water
• 2 Medium Carrots unpeeled and sliced
• ½ Sweet Potato Peeled + Cubed
• 1-2 Celery Stalks Diced
• 1 Yellow Pepper Diced
• 4 Crimini Mushrooms Sliced
• 1 Cup Cauliflower Florets
• 1 ½ Cans approx. 4 Cups Organic Diced Tomatoes
• 3 tablespoon Organic Tomato Paste
• 1 ⅓ Cups filtered water
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon Chili Flakes
• 1- 398 ml Can Kidney Beans drained
• 1-398 ml Can Black Beans drained
• 1-398 ml Can Pinto Beans drained
• Salt + Pepper to taste

For Serving (optional)

• Fresh Cilantro
• Diced Avocado
• Fresh Lime Juice

Instructions

1. In a large sauce pot over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and filtered water. Cook, stirring occasionally until the water is evaporated and the onions have begun to soften (about 5 minutes). Add in the chopped carrot, sweet potato, diced celery, cauliflower, mushrooms and yellow pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until the vegetables become slightly tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Once the vegetables are slightly tender, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, filtered water, chili powder, cumin and chili flakes; stir to incorporate. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the water has reduced and the sauce has thickened.
3. Add the canned beans [add as much or as little as you like; I prefer my chili to be thick and thus as add the full amount of beans noted above]; Stir to incorporate.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend a small portion of the chili (just a few quick pulses); this will help to thicken up the sauce and yield a more hearty feel to it. If you don't have an immersion blender, take approx 2 cups of the chili and place it in a blender and blend until well incorporated; add it back to your chili pot and mix until incorporated. Season with salt + pepper to taste.
5. Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, diced avocado and chopped cilantro.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes a fair amount of chili and should keep in the fridge for 3-4 days covered. You can also freeze it for up to a month. If you find the chili is too thick for your liking, simply add a small amount of water to the mixture (approx ½ Cup); you may need to adjust your seasonings thereafter. Again, feel free to exchange the sweet potato with Yukon Gold, red potato or russets, whatever you please. If you are gluten intolerant, be sure to use a brand of tomato paste that is certified gluten free.