Meals like this one, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili, have helped me breeze through the first 7 Days of a 10-Day Cleanse. It’s a hearty soup, bursting with flavor, but still low in fat and calories.
The sweet potatoes lend a delicious sweetness to help balance the spice of the chili powder. The recipe calls for both regular chili powder and chipotle chili powder. Do no skip the chipotle chili powder as it is the key flavor in the chili. Chipotle chili powder has a smokiness and intensity of flavor that regular chili powder does not have.
This chili is quite spicy and I love to eat spicy foods when I am trying to lose weight. I find I eat them more slowly and out of necessity drink large quantities of water with them. These are 2 things that help me feel full before I’ve eaten too much.
Most likely some butternut squash would be equally delicious instead of sweet potato, but I love the way the bright orange of the sweet potato looks with the black beans. So beautiful.
Like all chili, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili keeps well. So if your husband and kids turn their noses up at it like mine did, you have a weeks worth of lunches ready for you in the refrigerator. Tell your family to make themselves some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- garnishes- nonfat sour cream, pickled jalapenos or avocado
- In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and salt and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low (make sure you keep a gentle simmer), cover and cook 8-10 minutes, or until sweet potato is tender.
- Add beans, tomatoes, and lime juice and continue to simmer 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Recipe Source: Eating Well
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato-Black Bean Cabbage Bowls
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This sounds delicious! I love spicy food when I’m trying to lose weight, for the same reasons. And also because then it doesn’t feel like you’re depriving yourself!
Thanks Jenny! I think not feeling like you are depriving yourself is key. Otherwise any change in eating is unsustainable.
pinning this! i’m not a big chili person, but my husband LOVES it – this looks like a yummy compromise to me – i love sweet potatoes! thanks for sharing!
Yum. That does sound good.
Yum!! I pinned this one!
Yummy! I LOVE anything and everything that has to do with sweet potatoes. This looks divine! Can’t wait to give it a try
Thanks for sharing. I found you through Mom’s Test Kitchen Link Party. Happy Labor Day!
This chili sounds great! Makes me wish cooler weather was here! Thanks so much for sharing this at Mom’s Test Meal Mondays!
I wish cooler weather was here too! Of course as soon as the cooler weather gets here, I’ll be hoping for warmer weather!
Hi there. This week’s Food on Friday is all about chillies and other spicy stuff. So it would be great if you linked this in. This is the link . Have a good week.
This is a great recipe! I made it yesterday and it was so delicious and filling. I cheated and added regular sour cream on top, though.
I am definitely going to try it with avocado next!
I also used one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce instead of the powder – which added just enough heat, not overwhelming, and perfectly balanced by the sour cream.
I’m most impressed by the sweet potatoes. Usually regular russet potatoes get this awful grainy texture that I just hate in soup – but the sweet potatoes kept their shape and have a lovely smooth texture. I’m gonna try replacing them in other soups this fall and winter!
Well done!
Thanks so much for the feedback and I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. You are right- the sweet potatoes really make the recipe. I find myself obssessed with sweet potatoes and I hated them not too many years ago. Funny how tastes change isn’t it?
I made this tonight – delicious! I make a lot of soup, and this will definitely get put in the rotation.
So happy you liked it Emily!
Definitely going to try this version of chili, I have never run across a similar recipe. Sounds great on a chili night, plus I like that you mentioned it was lower in cals