Dark and Thick Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
A thick, dark brick red vegetarian chili with glossy whole black beans against soft orange cubes of sweet potato. Cocoa powder and soy sauce give it depth without any meat.
Servings 6 bowls
Ingredients
For the Chili
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced small
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon chili powder mild blend
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ lb sweet potatoes peeled, cut into ½ inch dice
- 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cups vegetable broth measured
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 2 15 oz cans black beans drained and rinsed
- salt and black pepper to taste
To Serve
- 1 avocado diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 3 green onions sliced
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
Build the Base
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for a full 2 minutes, until it darkens from red to rust. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cocoa powder and oregano and stir for 1 minute. It will look like a dry dark paste, which is correct.
Simmer
- Add the diced sweet potato and stir until every cube is coated in the spice paste. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, the broth and the soy sauce, scraping the bottom of the pot clean.
- Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it does not catch. The sweet potato should be tender at the tip of a knife and still square at the corners.
Beans and Finish
- Stir in the drained black beans and simmer for 10 minutes more, no longer, so the beans stay whole and glossy.
- Press about ½ cup of the sweet potato against the side of the pot and stir it back through to bind the chili. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving with avocado, cilantro, green onion, sour cream and lime.
Notes
- Cocoa powder: 2 teaspoons darkens the pot and adds depth. It does not taste like chocolate.
- Soy sauce: supplies the savory bottom note that meat usually provides.
- Two cups of broth, measured: and simmer uncovered. Extra liquid is what makes a bean chili watery.
- Beans last: 10 minutes only, or they split and turn grey.
- Half inch dice: smaller sweet potato dissolves into the sauce.
- Bloom the spices in the tomato paste: 2 minutes of frying is worth more than doubling the chili powder.