A super easy sweet potato chili recipe, with everything you could ever want in a quick and healthy weeknight meal!
The best sweet potato chili
This classic homemade vegetarian chili recipe has been a favorite in my family for over ten years.
Packed with delicious and wholesome ingredients like sweet potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and black beans, what’s not to love?
Leftovers freeze well too, so it’s a really great healthy recipe for meal prep!
Along with my Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, this chili is one of the first recipes I ever made without following instructions in a cookbook.
The chili can be vegan, gluten free, Whole 30, paleo, high in protein, and oil free.
Also try these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Chili serving suggestions
Sliced Avocado
One of these Cauliflower Recipes
Serve over rice or quinoa
Serve over spaghetti squash
Or make up a batch of Applesauce Muffins or these Oatmeal Muffins to go along with your chili.
To make the sweet potato vegetarian chili, start by peeling your sweet potatoes and chopping the onions.
(I love roasting the sweet potato before beginning, but it’s not required.)
In a large pot, bring all ingredients except the zucchini to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered (adding zucchini about halfway through) until the sweet potato is soft.
Depending on the size of the potato, it should take around 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
I haven’t tried the recipe in an instant pot, so be sure to report back if you try. There is a slow cooker chili version here: Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chili.
Add a shake of hot sauce for smoky or spicy chili, and feel free to use whatever beans you have on hand. I especially like it as black bean sweet potato chili.
Leftover Sweet Potato? Make this Sweet Potato Salad or these Sweet Potato Brownies.
Above, watch the video of how to make sweet potato chili
The recipe was adapted from my Vegetarian Chili Recipe.
Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (10 oz)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can black beans, or beans of choice
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup chopped zucchini, optional
- 2 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp each: cumin and salt
InstructionsÂ
- Peel sweet potato, and chop or dice, depending on desired size. (If you have time, I love roasting the sweet potato now, but it's not required.) Bring all ingredients except zucchini to a boil. Then turn to medium-low and cook uncovered (add zucchini about halfway through) until sweet potato is soft. It depends on the size of the potato but should take around 15 minutes. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. I add an additional 1/2 tsp salt. Serve with sliced avocado, tortilla chips, or whatever you wish.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
This recipe sounds yummy and easy! I’m not a vegan, but I try to do a meatless day at least once a week. I would love more savory recipes like this. Of course, you can never have too many chocolate dessert recipes!
Gah! If only I had read this recipe yesterday! I made vegetarian chili last night for an old friend, but was on the lookout for a pretty epic recipe. Guess I’ll just have to save it for a rainy day 8)
Sweet potato + black beans is one of my very favorite combinations!
This looks delicious Katie! Love the combinations you chose!
This sounds delicious! Honestly I don’t cook with sweet potatoes as much as I should! But I do love baked sweet potato fries or roasted sweet potatoes!
Yum, Katie! Sweet potatoes and black beans are some of my favorites so I can’t wait to try this!
Yum! And yes please — if you have a vegan cornbread recipe, by all means!
I don’t eat sweet potatoes very often but I’m making a casserole later this week (which I’ve made before so I know it’s good) that has sweet potatoes, mole, chorizo, salsa and lots of other yummy mexican-y flavors.
I love them baked until they caramelize (about 90 min to 2 hours at 350) simply topped with butter, pumpkin pie spice, and pecans. It’s like eating pie without the need for sugar. I probably have this a couple times a week, now that I’ve almost completely given up refined
By the way, this chili looks great. I may have to make that later this week
I like to eat sweet potatoes with peanut butter and cinnamon melted on top. So good!
Wow, Katie. It is too late to vote on the last post and say, if this is any sampling of what those savory recipes will be like, then please, please, please give us more savory recipes! You’re a culinary genius (you always were, so I don’t know why I didn’t suspect)! I mean, I love your desserts, but you can only eat so many desserts in a day. Haha—scratch that—I mean that I can only eat so many desserts in a day!
But this?!? If it wasn’t almost 11 pm here and I don’t have half the ingredients, I’d be making this right now! Literally, it’s taking a good measure of willpower to keep me in my seat right now.
Yum! I have an endless love affair with sweet potatoes.
I was seriously planning on making sweet potato/black bean chili this afternoon! Amazing! I don’t think I add in the zucchini though…personal preference. Thanks!
Oh you can definitely omit the zucchini 🙂
I love your blog and this recipe! I am so giving this a try…
I’m allergic to white ones, so I only eat sweet potatoes. I love them roasted with vegan butter and cinnamon or I will bake them, cube them and add to salads for a sweet hearty twist. I also love them mashed with brown sugar and nutmeg for a sweet treat or cut up like fries and baked with some chili pepper and salt on top and to dip in black pepper homemade ketchup…I’m getting hungry thinking about it!
Thanks for the savory chili idea…I will give it a whirl soon.
Strangely enough the recipe i’ve just posted on my blog is a unique spin on a sticky toffee pudding…and it features sweet potato! I’d love to know what you think? 🙂 http://www.includingcake.com/2012/01/sticky-toffee-pudding.html