Sweet Potato Chili

When there’s a chill in the air, is there anything better than a warm bowl of chili for dinner? I think not! This sweet potato chili is the perfect way to use up your harvest vegetables this season. And if you’re skeptical of adding an unexpected vegetable to an otherwise standard chili recipe, think again. The sweet potato balances out the bitterness of the tomato, and gives the entire soup a pleasantly rounded taste. Learn how to make this perfect sweet potato chili below!

A Hearty and Healthy Meal

I absolutely love how loaded this chili is with beneficial nutrients. From homemade bone broth, to freshly harvested root vegetables, to tomatoes straight from the vine, this recipe is packed full of nutrient-rich foods that are sure to warm and nourish your body all season.

Though sweet potato is the balancing vegetable of choice here, you could add a slew of other vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots, and more!

And of course, don’t forget a same day sourdough roll on the side.

Supplies Needed

• Measuring cups and spoons: I use these measuring cups and these measuring spoons.
• Spatula: You can use a wood spatula or a silicone spatula, whatever you prefer.
• Pot for cooking: Use either a pot for the stovetop, or a slow cooker.
• Cutting board and knife: You’ll need both a cutting board and knife for chopping the vegetables.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Yellow onion: Diced
• Ground beef
• Chili spice blend: Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and ground black pepper
• Salt
• Broth: Either beef broth, chicken broth, or homemade bone broth
• Worcestershire sauce
• Tomato paste
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes: Either freshly prepared or undrained can
• Crushed tomatoes: Either fresh freshly prepared or undrained can
• Sweet potato: Cooked and mashed, either freshly prepared or drained can
• (Optional) Red kidney beans: Either freshly prepared or drained and rinsed can
• Lemon juice

Directions for Stovetop

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, and stir occasionally until the onions are caramelized and browning, about 10 minutes.

Add the beef, and brown until cooked through stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes. Drain excess grease if there is any.

Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the spices and salt. Stir and cook for one minute to toast the spices.

Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, sweet potato, and optional beans.

Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer until the flavors meld and the chili is heated through. The longer it simmers, the more deep and rich the flavors will be. Note: If you’re in a hurry, the chili can be ready to enjoy as soon as it warms to the desired temperature, about 10-15 minutes.

After the soup has simmered, add the lemon juice. Finally add additional salt to taste if desired. Enjoy!

This sweet potato chili is perfect with a sprinkle of cheese, crackers, fresh parsley for garnish, and a same day sourdough roll on the side.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Directions Slow Cooker

Though you can do the majority of this recipe in a slow cooker alone, it improves the flavor significantly if you do a bit of prep work on the stovetop up front.

1. In a pot on the stove, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, and stir occasionally until the onions are caramelized and browning, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the beef, and brown until cooked through stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes. Drain excess grease if there is any.
3. To the slow cooker, add the onion and beef mixture, chili spices, salt, broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, sweet potato, and optional beans.
4. Turn the slow cooker on low, and allow to heat through until it is simmering. The longer it simmers, the deeper and richer the flavors will be.
5. After the soup has simmered to your liking, add the lemon juice. Finally add additional salt to taste if desired. Enjoy!

Substitutions

One of the best things about soup is that you can practically substitute anything for anything, and somehow it all still works out in the end. Here are a few suggestions to try!

• Replace the sweet potato with another vegetable, or even add to it with options such as butternut squash, pumpkin, carrot, sweet corn, and more.
• Try a red onion in place of the yellow.
• Use any oil in place of olive oil.
• Use ground turkey or other choice instead of ground beef.
• Try oven roasting, fire roasting, or otherwise preparing fresh tomatoes in different ways to bring out additional flavors.
• Replace kidney beans with others such as navy beans, black beans, or a combination of multiple options.

Be sure to pin the recipe for later!