I’m always on the hunt for dishes that are packed with nutrition, can be easily reheated, fit a variety of dietary needs, and most importantly, are incredibly delicious. Especially since several of my friends are either vegetarian or gluten-free. Good news y’all—this vegetarian chili recipe checks off every single box.
Why You’ll Love This Vegetarian Chili Recipe
This sweet potato and black bean chili is on my short list of go-to’s when I need to deliver dinner to a friend who’s sick or just had a baby. It’s packed with hearty black beans, flavorful veggies, and loads of spices (plus, all those toppings) so no one will miss the meat. And did I mention the incredible amount of plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals contained in this bowl? I always make enough of this to feed the fam for dinner, provide leftovers for lunch the next day, and maybe even freeze a batch for a future meal.
So when I want to send a little love to a friend in need of a hot meal, or I need a quick, healthy (and easy) dinner, this vegetarian chili recipe is always my go-to.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Vegetarian Chili
Sweet potato. Y’all know it’s my favorite root veg, and I’ll add it to every last dish. It’s such a standout in this vegetarian chili recipe.
Red bell pepper. It goes perfectly with the sweet potato, contributing to the chili’s color and is such a classic, Tex-Mex veg.
Garlic. I love its slightly pungent aroma as it caramelized in the pot.
Tomato paste. Adds a nice touch of richness to your chili.
Spices. We’re going with a blend of chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to taste. This dish is all about incorporating as much flavor with as few ingredients as possible.
Crushed tomatoes. The essential base.
Black beans. These add a ton of plant-based protein and fiber while bulking up your chili so no one will miss the meat.
Sweeteners. The zest and juice of one orange plus a tablespoon of honey. Trust me, don’t leave these out.
Toppings. Arguably my favorite part of the entire dish! The options are endless here, but I consider avocados, cheese, cilantro, green onions, limes, and tortilla chips a must.
Vegetarian Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Description
Filled with bold flavors and warm spices, this vegetarian chili is the perfect bowl to cozy up with.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Two 15-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon honey
- zest and juice of one orange
- toppings: sliced avocado, goat cheese or cheddar cheese, green onions or cilantro, jalapeño, sliced radishes, tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sweet potato, onion, and bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir it all together. Add tomatoes, black beans, honey, zest, juice, and 2 cups of water, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, until the sweet potato is very tender.
- Check for seasoning and add more salt and chili powder as needed. Divide among bowls, add toppings, and eat!
Notes
This chili can be made the night before and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat on the stove. Also freezes great!
This looks so tasty, never had my chili with radishes or sweet potato! Printing out the directions, can’t wait to try this out.
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Cameron and I are still talking about this AMAZING chili you made us, Camille. xoxoxo <3
I made this for dinner last night, and it was delicious! I put a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top.
I have been dying for this recipe after you brought over this delicious chili! We loved it and I’m excited to trying out!
I made this for my family a few days ago and they loved every bite as much as I did! Thank you for the recipe!
Camille, I just made your delicious dish for dinner. We loved it! There is a lot leftover! How best would you store it so that it keeps for the next few days?
I’m so glad you loved! This one reheats like a dream. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container, OR transfer it to a gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag, pop in the freezer, and you’ll have a dinner ready to thaw and reheat for up to 2 months!
Interesting… never saw a chili recipe requiring zest and juice of an orange. What can I substitute it with or can I omit it?
You can totally omit – it just adds a little extra burst of flavor! 🙂
My kids gave this chili a thumbs up ! They crushed some tortilla chips for a topper . Will pi this recipe into the dinner rotation. Thanks!
This chili is LITERALLY my go-to! I make a batch almost every other week and it is the perfect, hearty, vegetarian dinner!
This was a really great meal! It made about 6 servings, which is nice! It was a great, simple weeknight meal!
★★★★★
This looks awesome. I plan to make this for a Halloween party on Saturday. Maybe I missed it… how many does this feed? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi! Sorry that we didn’t catch this before Halloween! This serves 4.
can / how would this translate to a croc pot if i don’t have a dutch oven?
So yum! I made mine with 1 can of cannellini and 1 can of garbanzo beans instead of the 2 cans of black beans, and we only had feta cheese, so that was my topping (instead of goat cheese). YUM. The whole family loved.
★★★★★