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This Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili has a serious depth of smokey, creamy, tangy, and meaty flavors. Did I mention it's vegetarian chili?
You can serve a few things with the chili: Wakanda Cake with Strawberry Mint Salad, Meyer Lemon Sweet Tea, Moist Southern Cornbread, and Buttermilk Biscuits.
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I was playing around with some leftover sauce from my Ancho Coffee Braised Short Rib Tacos recipe and wanted to see if I could turn it into a soup. I didn't want to risk throwing away all the smokey, fruity, tart, earthy, nutty, tangy flavors that took hours to develop.
So, for this chili, I wanted to make it hearty and healthy! So, I chose sweet potatoes and black beans as my base. In this sweet potato chili, you'll find a mild heat from the ancho chilies, earthy and warm notes from the cumin and black pepper, sweetness from the dark chocolate chips and cinnamon, a lovely flavor from the diced tomatoes, and a delightful punch of vinegar from the pickled red onions and finished with fresh cilantro sprigs and a dollop of sour cream.
It's so good that I like to reheat the leftover chili and eat it like nachos with tortilla chips.
Key Ingredients
Here are the star ingredients for this sweet potato black bean chili.
Sweet Potatoes
I love sweet potatoes; they're versatile, highly nutritious, and contain various vitamins and minerals. They are an excellent source of fiber and have significant amounts of potassium, which supports heart health, and manganese, which is important for metabolism and bone health. They also provide calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus, crucial in various bodily functions.
Black Beans
Black beans are rich in vital vitamins and minerals. They are renowned for their high protein and fiber content, promoting fullness and supporting digestion. Using canned black beans saves us a ton of time.
Fresh Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
My workhorse tomatoes are Roma tomatoes; they're readily available and can be used in various ways. The tomato paste will add an umami flavor with this chili dancing on your taste buds.
Ancho chili
This mild chili is a dried poblano pepper; it will be the base flavor for the chili.
Chili Spices
I know it's easy to use chili powder with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and other herbs and spices, but they are not equal. I use my homemade creole seasoning, cinnamon, Mexican oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Vegetable Broth
Always use a low-sodium vegetable stock or broth to control your sodium. You can make your own from the leftover vegetable scraps. It'll take about 20 minutes to complete.
Red Onion
The pickled red onions set this dish off to another level. It's delicious without it, but the tangy flavor ties all the flavors together.
How To Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili Recipe
I wanted to make this black bean and sweet potato chili in under an hour and have it packed with flavor as if it had cooked for several hours.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili:
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast ancho chilies for 15 seconds on each side until slightly charred evenly. Then remove and sit in vegetable stock, boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
Next, in the same skillet, evenly char tomatoes on all sides and set to the side for about 5 minutes. Add ancho vegetable stock, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a blender and blitz on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
Season sweet potatoes evenly with creole seasoning. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add oil; once hot, add sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes; remove and set to the side.
Add onions, celery, and bell peppers, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Add bay leaves, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne, black beans, sweet potatoes and chocolate.
Scrape the bottom of the pot to pick up any brown bits, then add the vegetable stock and vegan worcestershire. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover with a lid, reduce the heat down to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Test sweet potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a fork, making sure they're tender.
Pickled Red Onions:
While sweet potatoes are cooking, turn the heat on medium in a medium sauce pot, bring water to a boil, add red onions, and remove from the heat after 1 minute. Add the white and red vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool in the mixture. Store in a glass jar.
To serve, pour chili into individual bowls and garnish with pickled onions, a drizzle of non-dairy sour cream, and a stem of fresh cilantro.
How To Store Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
After the sweet potato chili cools, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 7 days. After the chili cools, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before enjoying our thaw in a large bowl of water for a fast thaw.
To reheat chili, turn on the heat to medium; in a small or medium saucepan, add chili and cook until the mixture starts to boil—about 10 minutes or less.
You can pickle red onions 5 days in advance and keep them in a mason jar in the fridge for 1 month.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are the best techniques and substitutes you'll need to know about making black beans and sweet potato chili at home.
- Toasting chiles brings out the character of the chiles. If you skip this step, you will have a good chili instead of a bomb one. You can use guajillo, Chile, California, or chipotle peppers instead of anchos. You can find the chilies in the Mexican section of your supermarket.
- When buying sweet potatoes, do not buy ones with strings; this is a sign of an old sweet potato. Butternut squash is an excellent swap for sweet potatoes.
- You can use a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes or diced tomatoes for a shortcut.
- Any oregano works; Mexican has a unique flavor. Dried Italian oregano or seasoning will work if you cannot find Mexican oregano. It'll be near the chilies.
- Use your favorite chili powder or taco seasoning instead of my seasoning blend.
- You can use pinto beans or red beans instead of black beans. Not a fan of beans? Don't add them.
- You can use white potatoes, red potatoes, or Yukon potatoes as a substitute for sweet potatoes.
- Diced avocado, shredded cheddar, or crispy tortilla chips would be great garnishes to finish the chili.
- You can make your vegetable broth from the leftover vegetable scraps. It'll take about 20 minutes to complete.
- If you do not want to make the pickled red onions, finish the dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Regular dark chocolate chips can be used if you're not concerned about it being vegan. Alternatively, feel free to use your preferred chocolate. If you have cocoa powder at home, mix 6 tablespoons with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to substitute for ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
- To make this in a crock pot or slow cooker, add the ancho vegetable broth to the crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- To make it in an instant pot, cook the vegetables in saute mode for 10-12 minutes, add all the ingredients and seal, and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
More Soup Recipes
Here are a few more recipes to warm you up.
- New Orleans Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Yakamein
- Corn Bisque
- Beef Stew and Vegetables
- Winter Vegetable Soup
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
Step 1: Get all the ingredients and tools needed to make black bean and sweet potato chili on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: Follow the recipe and you'll have a mind-blowing chili.
I hope I have convinced you with my recipe to try this ancho sweet potato black bean chili. With its bold and smoky flavors, hearty ingredients, and ease of preparation, it is guaranteed to become a go-to favorite in your household. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you!
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📖 Recipe
Ancho Sweet Potato Black Beans Chili
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili:
- 2 ancho chiles seeded stems removed
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock warmed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
- 3 medium sweet potatoes peeled chopped large
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 medium onion chopped medium
- 2 celery stalks chopped medium
- 1 bell pepper chopped medium
- 4 garlic cloves chopped fine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 15 oz. can black beans rinsed
- ¼ cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- 12 sprigs cilantro garnish
- 1 cup sour cream garnish
Pickled Red Onions:
- 1 cup water
- 1 large red onion sliced thin
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili:
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast ancho chilies for 15 seconds on each side until slightly charred evenly. Then remove and sit in vegetable stock, boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Next, in the same skillet, evenly char tomatoes on all sides and set to the side for about 5 minutes. Add ancho vegetable stock, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a blender and blitz on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Season sweet potatoes evenly with creole seasoning. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add oil; once hot, add sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes; remove and set to the side.
- Add onions, celery, and bell peppers, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Add bay leaves, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne, black beans, sweet potatoes and chocolate.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot to pick up any brown bits, then add the vegetable stock and vegan worcestershire. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover with a lid, reduce the heat down to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Test sweet potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a fork, making sure they're tender.
Pickled Red Onions:
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, turn the heat on medium in a medium sauce pot, bring water to a boil, add red onions, and remove from the heat after 1 minute. Add the white and red vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool in the mixture. Store in a glass jar.
- To serve, pour chili into individual bowls and garnish with pickled onions, a drizzle of non-dairy sour cream, and a stem of fresh cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Toasting chiles brings out the character of the chiles. If you skip this step, you will have a good chili instead of a bomb one. You can use guajillo, Chile, California, or chipotle peppers instead of anchos. You can find the chilies in the Mexican section of your supermarket.
- When buying sweet potatoes, do not buy ones with strings; this is a sign of an old sweet potato. Butternut squash is an excellent swap for sweet potatoes.
- You can use a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes or diced tomatoes for a shortcut.
- Any oregano works; Mexican has a unique flavor. Dried Italian oregano or seasoning will work if you cannot find Mexican oregano. It'll be near the chilies.
- Use your favorite chili powder or taco seasoning instead of my seasoning blend.
- You can use pinto beans or red beans instead of black beans. Not a fan of beans? Don't add them.
- You can use white potatoes, red potatoes, or Yukon potatoes as a substitute for sweet potatoes.
- Diced avocado, shredded cheddar, or crispy tortilla chips would be great garnishes to finish the chili.
- You can make your vegetable broth from the leftover vegetable scraps. It'll take about 20 minutes to complete.
- If you do not want to make the pickled red onions, finish the dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Regular dark chocolate chips can be used if you're not concerned about it being vegan. Alternatively, feel free to use your preferred chocolate. If you have cocoa powder at home, mix 6 tablespoons with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to substitute for ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
- To make this in a crock pot or slow cooker, add the ancho vegetable broth to the crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- To make it in an instant pot, cook the vegetables in saute mode for 10-12 minutes, add all the ingredients and seal, and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
Bria says
I tried this recipe and omg the flavor ! Muy perfecto ???????? I never thought to incorporate sweet potatoes into a chili but chile this is a hit ! Thank you so much for this recipe !
Sharon Brown says
I love this recipe. The weather is just right to eat some warm home made chili. Chef I think you have outdone yourself with this recipe. Will share with family and friends.