Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published October 14, 2020

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5(3,132)
Comments
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This thick, smoky vegan chili comes together in just under an hour, and most of that time is hands-off simmering. You can use any kind of sweet potato here — keep in mind that the orange or garnet “yam” you see at the grocery store is actually a sweet potato — but you could also switch it up and use any peeled sweet winter squash, like butternut or kabocha. The recipe calls for either coconut oil or vegetable oil. If you’d like a mild coconut flavor, which plays well with the orange juice, choose unrefined or virgin coconut oil; for a neutral flavor, choose refined coconut oil or any vegetable oil. Use one chipotle chile for a very mild chili, and four if you like yours very spicy. (Get the slow-cooker version of this recipe here.)

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • ¼ cup coconut oil or vegetable oil

  • 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

  • 2 packed tablespoons light brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • ¾ cup orange juice

  • 1 to 4 chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce

  • 1 ½ pounds 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 1 ½ tablespoons)

  • 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn

  • Sliced avocado and red onion, for topping

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

76 grams carbs; 435 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 18 grams fiber; 1259 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 19 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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 1 ¼ cups water and bring to a boil.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,132 user ratings
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Comments

Clio

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?

Emma

If you don’t want to buy orange juice just for this recipe, buy an orange or two and juice it :)

Greg

Onion and garlic, plus onion and garlic powders? Is there some special magic to the dehydrated stuff? Can I just use more fresh?

P. G. Dubin

This is a fabulous dish! Rich and a real keeper. Left out the corn because I didn’t have any. Used two chipotles plus adobo and it was just right. Two things I did and would recommend. One, I peeled the sweet potatoes. Two, after simmering for 40 minutes, I took out about three cups of the chili and using a stick blender did a quick chop, then put it back in the pot. This thickened the chili perfectly, while still keeping it chunky. Served it with white rice, sliced avocado and red onion.

Autumn

Big fan of this recipe! The sweet potatoes near me are always huge, so I normally end up with 2-2.5 lbs. It may be the type I get, but they have very thin skin so I leave it on. Beyond that, leave it mostly as written, maybe add some paprika, oregano and cayenne if I have them handy, and I save the lime juice for the end so it doesn’t get dulled in simmering. The avocado is a must for me for a topping, add some cilantro and green onions, and I like to quick pickle red onions as well. It normally comes together in a little over an hour, with maybe 20-30 minutes active work. It’s become a regular in my rotation, especially whenever I feel like I need a bit more fiber in my diet.

Cheryl

Made the recipe as is. Had some leftover from al pastor which we added to the stew. Topped with shredded cabbage and the leftover pineapple from al pastor. Fabulous!

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