When it gets cold outside, one of my favorite ways to warm up it to indulge in a hearty, heart-healthy( and vegetarian, duh!) bowl of black bean and sweet potato chili! As with most of my favorite recipes, this one ends up being a hodgepodge of many yummy flavors that I really love. Because I tend to look at recipes as “suggestions”, I always end up with a slight variation. I will give you my basic plan and you can tweak the ingredients to your liking. I’m a girl who loves it spicy, so I go for the full flavor and heat of fresh jalapenos, but if you like it a bit more tame, then I have found that poblanos work really well with the smoky chipotle flavor of the overall dish. No matter how hot you like it, this satisfying chili is served best topped with a dollop of light sour cream and fresh cilantro. And one more quick note…even though it is delicious right out of the pot, storing this chili and re-heating it later makes it a great dish for busy nights or a “heat it up at the office” lunch.
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
3 cans (15 oz.cans) black beans, rinsed
2 medium yellow onions (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 large lime (juice and zest)
1 can whole tomatoes (28 0z., chopped)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons each (cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, cumin)
2 chipotle chilis, chopped (found in a can in adobo sauce)
2 diced chili peppers (your mix/choice or jalapenos, poblanos, green or other)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro (cleaned and chopped)
1 cup water
sautee pan
large pot
In a sautee pan, cook the onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat until cooked throughout. Then add your lime zest, the lime juice and the combination of spices (trust me on the cocoa powder…it makes all the difference). Cook the combined ingredients for about 15 minutes covered, on medium heat. You can add a bit of the water to the mixture in case it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Then, add your sweet potatoes, black beans, chipotle chilis, peppers, cilantro and tomatoes into a large pot. Add the already-cooked onion, garlic and spice mixture to the pot. Cook all the ingredients together on medium heat until the sweet potatoes are tender when poked with a fork. Cover and allow to simmer at a low temperature for about ten minutes…enjoy!
