Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili

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This hearty vegetarian sweet potato chili is brimming with healthy vegetables and packs every bit as much flavor as a traditional beef chili. It’s an ultra comforting dish to get you through the winter.

Lately we’ve been trying to eat less meat at home. One of the easiest ways I’ve found to cut down on meat is to omit it from dishes where it’s easily replaced with ingredients that are just as tasty.

In my opinion, one of those dishes is chili. A beefy chili is traditional and great and all, but honestly? Take out the beef, add some extra veg, and I’m just as happy! The flavor comes so much from the spice blend that I feel like you could put pretty much anything in there and it would taste roughly the same.

You might disagree! My husband does. But our differences are what keeps things interesting, right? 😌

So in this case I replaced the meat with hearty, flavorful sweet potatoes. Because sweet potatoes are fab. Sweet potatoes > regular potatoes by a long shot.

Again, just my opinion.

But there is no denying that they are great in this vegetarian sweet potato chili! Note that this chili is also vegan as long as you skip the cheese and sour cream.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Chili Recipe

All the flavor, plenty of protein, no animals. The combination of hearty sweet potatoes, two kinds of beans, and a deeply spiced base makes this veggie chili every bit as satisfying as a traditional beef version.

One pot, minimal cleanup. Everything comes together in a single dutch oven, which means less time cleaning up and more time enjoying a bowl of chili on the couch.

It gets better with time. Like most chili recipes, this one tastes even better the next day once all those juices and spices have had time to really meld together. It’s a meal prep dream!

Completely customizable. The toppings situation alone makes this sweet potato chili endlessly adaptable – set out cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, avocado, and let everyone build their own bowl.

Ingredient Notes

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are the star of this veggie chili and they do double duty here – they add a natural sweetness and hearty texture that makes this chili genuinely satisfying, and their starch naturally thickens the chili as it simmers. No need for any flour or cornstarch!

Yellow Onion

A medium yellow onion forms the savory base of this chili. Cook it low and slow at the start – properly softened onion makes a real difference to the depth of flavor in the finished dish.

Garlic

Fresh garlic cloves are always my preference in a chili like this. They go in right after the onion and cook just long enough to get fragrant without burning. Don’t rush this step.

Bell Peppers

Both a red bell pepper and a green bell pepper go into this chili, and together with the onion and garlic they form the aromatics that give the base its character. The red pepper adds a touch of sweetness while the green keeps things savory and fresh.

Chili Powder, Cumin, Oregano and Thyme

This is the spice blend that makes this chili taste like it’s been cooking all day. The tablespoon chili powder and teaspoon ground cumin do most of the heavy lifting, while the oregano and thyme add a subtle herby depth in the background.

Don’t be tempted to skip any of them – the ratio of spices here is what makes this chili taste the way it does.

Tomato Paste

Just a small amount adds a concentrated tomato flavor and helps give the base of the chili some extra body. It’s one of those trick ingredients that you’d notice if it were missing.

Black Beans and Red Kidney Beans

Two kinds of beans give this chili its heartiness and make it genuinely filling without any meat. I like the texture contrast between the two – black beans are a little softer and creamier, while kidney beans hold their shape more. Drain and rinse them well before adding.

If you have different beans hanging out in your pantry – pintos, cannellini, chickpeas, whatever, use what you have/prefer.

Whole Tomatoes in Purée

I prefer whole tomatoes packed in purée over diced for this recipe – they break down as the chili simmers and give you a richer, more complex tomato flavor than pre-diced tomatoes do. Break them up a little with a spoon as they cook.

Vegetable Stock

I added some vegetable stock because potatoes, sweet or otherwise, are starchy and naturally thicken the liquid they cook in.

You can use vegetable broth, chicken broth, beef broth, or any other broth or stock you like provided you don’t want to keep this recipe vegetarian or vegan.

Chipotle Chile

You will also need a chipotle chile (smoked jalapeno pepper canned in adobo sauce – easily found in the Mexican section of most grocery stores). In addition to heat, these add a wonderful smoky flavor.

However they are fairly spicy, so you can adjust the quantity to your liking. I find that one minced chipotle chile yields a mild level of spiciness that works for the whole family. Add an extra one or two if you want to kick it up!

Step by Step Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.

1. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

1. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the peppers, diced sweet potatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, salt, chipotle chile, and tomato paste until everything is well combined.

1. Add the beans, tomatoes, and stock and give everything a good stir.

1. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the chili has thickened nicely. Taste and season with additional salt as needed.

1. Ladle into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings.

Serving Suggestions

Set up a toppings bar. This is my favorite way to serve this sweet potato chili for a crowd – put out cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, scallions, and chopped red onion and let everyone build their own bowl of chili exactly how they like it.

Serve with something to scoop. Warm cornbread, tortilla chips, or crusty bread alongside are all great for scooping up the last of the juices at the bottom of the bowl. My cheesy garlic focaccia would also be incredible here!

Recipe Tips for Success

Don’t rush the aromatics. Taking the time to properly soften the onion and let the garlic get fragrant before adding everything else builds a much more flavorful base for the chili. It’s only 6 minutes but it makes a real difference.

Break up the tomatoes as you go. Give the whole tomatoes a rough break-up with a spoon as they cook – you don’t want huge chunks of tomato in every spoonful, but you also don’t want to purée them completely. Somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot.

Adjust the chipotle to your heat preference. One minced chipotle chile gives you a mild heat level that works for most palates. If you like things spicier, add half a chile more at a time and taste as you go. If you’re cooking for kids or very spice-sensitive people, start with half a chile.

Use low-sodium broth. The chipotle chiles and tomato paste both bring their own saltiness, so starting with low-sodium vegetable broth gives you much more control over the final seasoning.

Let it simmer low and slow. Resist the urge to crank up the heat to speed things along. A gentle simmer for the full hour is what gives the juices time to reduce and the spices time to really bloom and develop.

Variations

Add some heat. A diced jalapeño added with the peppers, or a diced poblano for a smokier, milder kick, are both great ways to add another layer of flavor and heat.

Try the cocoa powder trick. A teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder stirred in with the spices adds a subtle depth and richness that you can’t quite put your finger on but really rounds out the flavor. It’s a classic chili trick and it works beautifully here!

Add smoked paprika. A teaspoon of paprika – smoked specifically – added to the spice blend deepens the smoky flavor of the chipotle even further.

Make it even heartier. Stir in a cup of frozen corn along with the beans for extra sweetness and texture, or add a diced zucchini with the peppers for more vegetables.

Add a different protein. If you want to add some extra protein without adding meat, a handful of red lentils stirred in with the stock works beautifully and thickens the chili even further as they cook down.

Storage Tips

Let the chili cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, and genuinely tastes better on day two once all those flavors have had time to meld together overnight.

This sweet potato chili recipe freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of vegetable stock if it’s thickened too much.

More vegetarian weeknight meals!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers – Mexican-Style

Sweet potato salad with baby kale

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Butternut Squash Risotto