Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ¼cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 6garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
- 2packed tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2teaspoons ground cumin
- 2teaspoons garlic powder
- 2teaspoons onion powder
- ¾cup orange juice
- 1 to 4chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1½pounds sweet potatoes (4 to 5 small-medium or about 2 large), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2(15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
- 1(28-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- Juice of 1 lime (about 1½ tablespoons)
- 1(10-ounce) bag frozen corn
- Sliced avocado and red onion, for topping
Preparation
- Step 1
In a large Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring and adjusting the heat as needed to avoid burning, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Step 2
Add the brown sugar, cumin, garlic and onion powders, and stir to combine. Add the orange juice and let it come to a simmer. Add the chipotles and adobo sauce, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes and lime juice. Season generously with black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir in 1¼ cups water and bring to a boil.
- Step 3
Once the chili comes to a boil, decrease the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Step 4
Just before serving, stir in the corn and let it warm through. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Top with avocado and red onion.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Do you really need orange juice? I don’t drink it, and don’t want to buy it just for this. What could I sub?
Onion and garlic, plus onion and garlic powders? Is there some special magic to the dehydrated stuff? Can I just use more fresh?
If you don’t want to buy orange juice just for this recipe, buy an orange or two and juice it :)
Delicious... I used 4 chopped medjool dates (8 regular small dates) instead of brown sugar for better umami :)
2 15-oz cans = 3 cups, made from 1 cup dry beans
In the future, I would peel the sweet potatoes. It just says to scrub them here. When I made it, the skin didn't have a good texture and sometimes separated from the potato, which I didn't care for. Otherwise, this was a really good vegan chili that I will definitely make again with the 4 chipotles!
Since it called for brown sugar, and I had neither oranges nor orange juice, I substituted orange marmalade.
It would be helpful if recipes listing cans of beans would also give the equivalent in dry beans or already cooked beans. I always cook my own.
I’m just going to buy an orange and squeeze it, vs a whole carton of juice . This recipe looks perfect for our cold Minnesota nights!
Used the whole can of adobo. Less sugar and added extra lime juice at the end. Fabulous!!!
Just buy one orange and sqeeze the juice out of it. It'll taste better too!
I made this exactly as written minus the peppers/adobe. I think it is great. Letting it meld over night and will serve next day. It’s pretty sweet but also savory. I’d make it again.
Jo, I’d try smoked paprika
This is such a great base recipe and I’m looking forward to experimenting with different ingredients. This time I made it without any sugar but used a little extra orange juice and let that cook down and become a bit syrupy. I had an acorn squash to use up and it was delicious in it. Last minute I realized I didn’t have corn so we topped the chili with coleslaw (very lightly dressed) and it added a perfect crunch and balance to the chipotle heat. Yum!
Nah. Replace with water. Balance the sweetness and flavors with a splash of apple cider vinegar.
I’ve made this recipe twice. Once without the corn (I forgot it) and the second with it. The second time I made it I used pre-roasted cubed sweet potatoes (no skin) that were leftover from another meal. Both times the recipe was fantastic! Adding the pre-roasted sweet potatoes after letting the chili simmer for about 15 minutes was a great time saver and tastes delish.
It took a longer time, double what was recommended, to cook the sweet potatoes. I added an additional can of black beans bc it seemed too soupy. Careful with the Chipotle in adobo sauce. They can be very spicy.
This was delicious and easy! I also peeled the sweet potatoes. Next time I will use less brown sugar as well. I don’t think it needs that much sweetness. I didn’t have a lime on hand and used only 1 chipotle in adobo because we’re relatively wimpy from a spice perspective. Next time I think I will use two chipotles and more sauce, because it added a nice smoky flavor.
A dollop of yogurt on the top when serving helps balance the heat.
Turns out great every time! I often throw in a cup of rinsed red lentils and a cup or two of extra water or vegetable broth with the other ingredients, just to add more protein.
Used coconut oil, peeled the sweet potatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, and just 1 chipotle + full amount of adobo. Used the juice of one orange. Only had a pinch of dark brown sugar so essentially skipped that step. I ended up having to salt it a few times to my taste, but overall we loved it. Made a lime crema and pickled some red onions on top. Will be making this again! .
My third time making this! It's become a house hold favorite! Added Swiss Chard and diced carrots for nutrition and flavor plus an extra 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes to make it saucier. Mix of kidney and black beans for variety. 1 1/2 chipotle is enough spice for me! Enjoy!!
Made this on stove top, in Dutch oven. Halved the ingredients, as we are two. Used one half of one large sweet potato, diced very small, as neither of us love sweet potatoes. Did not use orange juice as I had none and didn’t think it was needed on top of brown sugar. Instead of frozen corn, used kernels from one ear. Delicious.
Followed the recipe as written and easily the best vegetarian chili I’ve ever eaten. Smoky, complex, a little sweet! Absolutely delicious!
This is okay. It lacks depth. If possible, do a different chili recipe.
This was delicious, pretty easy, and made enough for meal prep all week! Substitutions: -I used pre-cubed butternut squash and one sweet potato for ease -didn’t use the adobo, added the “everything but the elote” seasoning from Trader Joe’s for flavor instead -didn’t use OJ, I just juiced a few oranges from my yard -used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of kidney beans for variety
This was too sweet in my opinion. I like the black bean, smoky pepper and sweet potato flavors but I’d leave out most or all of the sugar next time. I’d be tempted to roast the sweet potatoes next time for a little more flavor and texture.
Kabocha squash, delicious in this recipe, need not be peeled.
Made with one chipotle pepper and two tsp sauce, much better than last time!
I love the basics of this recipe which includes elements I wouldn't have considered if I was making it up. The orange juice (from two squeezed oranges) and lime juice gives it more depth of flavor. We like our chili a little more beany, so I added another cup of black beans and about a tablespoon more cumin. Rave reviews from the family, and this recipe goes into our regular rotation.
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