Once the weather turns cold, we eat chili a lot at my house. There are so many ways to make chili. (This Chili Roundup post that I did for Spring Forest Farm is a great place to look for variations and new-to-you ideas.) Today I’d like to share my recipe for sweet potato chili. It’s a quick and easy value meal. You don’t need to think ahead to thaw out beef or chicken. Even without any meat, you’ll find this sweet potato chili to be warm and hearty.
PACKED WITH FIBER AND PROTEIN
I like soup season so much. I find that it’s easy to include fiber in every meal. For this recipe, I use sweet potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. Just two tablespoons of chickpeas have 4.5 grams of dietary fiber and 4.5 g of protein as well. That’s a comparable amount of protein to a serving of chicken.
ADD A CAN OF PUMPKIN FOR EXTRA FIBER
If you want to increase the fiber even more (for picky eaters who remove vegetables), you can add a can of puréed pumpkin to this recipe. It helps to thicken the texture of the chili. You may find that you need to add a bit of chicken or beef or vegetable stock to thin everything out, but you can adjust this to your preference. It’s a lovely addition to any chili. I often include canned pumpkin in my chili recipes.
FRESH OR FROZEN SWEET POTATOES
In truth, you can use either fresh or frozen sweet potatoes. I prefer the texture of fresh sweet potatoes, but if I’m in a bind (or a hurry), I may use frozen. Frozen sweet potatoes are pre-chopped and cook faster than fresh sweet potatoes. Watch them closely as they cook. They have a tendency to over-cook and become mush. If using fresh carrots and frozen sweet potatoes, I’d be sure to sauté those carrots until they are mostly soft. Once you add the frozen sweet potatoes to the pot, the carrots won’t have much more time to cook. You don’t want crunchy carrots or mushy sweet potatoes. It’s a balancing act.
ADD CHILI TO YOUR HOLIDAY MEAL ROTATION
I find that a pot of chili is a nice addition to the days and days of holiday food. Ham and turkey produce an exhaustive amount of leftovers. This sweet potato chili is quick and easy to pull together. It adds nice variety as compared to all of the rich meals consumed over holiday break. Warm up with this chili variation!
Sweet Potato Chili – A Quick and Easy Value Meal
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large sweet potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt (more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 8 oz can green chilis (optional, but nice addition)
- 3-6 c chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and/or sliced jalapeños for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, then add the sweet potatoes and carrots. Add the salt and pepper. Sauté until everything begins to soften. (The sweet potatoes will not yet be fork tender, but will begin to have a soft caramelized exterior.) If you find that things are sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a splash of stock to keep everything moving.
- Once everything has begun to soften and caramelize, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chickpeas. If using green chilis, add those too. Stir to combine.
- Add as much stock as you’d like to achieve the texture you prefer. (I like my chili to be a bit more soup-like. I add a full six cups of stock. My husband prefers a thicker chili and would add less if he were cooking.) Stir to combine.
- Add the chili powder, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine. Bring the chili to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the chili and allow it to cook for 45-60 minutes. This should allow time for the fresh sweet potatoes and carrots to soften completely.
- Once all of the vegetables are soft, the chili is ready. Garnish with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
If you like this Sweet Potato Chili, take a look at this recipe for Quick, High Fiber, Vegetable Curry Lentil Soup.
