Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Name: Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 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; 3/4 cup orange juice; 1 to 4 chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce; 1 1/2 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 1/2 tablespoons); 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn; Sliced avocado and red onion, for topping

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published Oct. 15, 2020

Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili — Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 5(2,401)
Comments: Read comments

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.)

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

¼cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
1large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
6garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
2packed tablespoons light brown sugar
2teaspoons ground cumin
2teaspoons garlic powder
2teaspoons onion powder
¾cup orange juice
1 to 4chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
1½pounds 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 1½ tablespoons)
1(10-ounce) bag frozen corn
Sliced avocado and red onion, for topping

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

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.
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 1¼ cups water and bring to a boil.
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.
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.

Ratings

5 out of 5

2,401 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Clio4 years ago

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?

Greg4 years ago

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

Emma4 years ago

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

Henri2 weeks ago

I make as written but we use 1/2 - 1 chipotle. If you can handle 4 chipotle, I salute you. We serve with goat cheddar (tangy) and sour cream (cools the heat). This is a regular meal chez nous.

Daniel3 weeks ago

This is a little sweet, which I like. You may skip some of the sugar if that doesn’t sound good to you

KC1 month ago

I followed the recipe exactly except I used dark brown sugar. It turned out very well and tasted great—flavorfully spicy but not the really hot type of spicy. It did turn out to have more liquid than the pictures shown above the recipe so next time I will reduce the amount of water and add it later if needed. It was very filling. We will put this on our rotation for days we want entrees without animal protein.

Private comments are only visible to you.