Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes
Try this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 can green chilis
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper finely minced
- 1 canned chipotle pepper chopped
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 bottle dark beer
- 1 28- ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (i like muir glen)
- 1 teaspoon cocoa
- 1 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can red beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- toppings: sour cream scallions, tortilla chips, avocado
- Carbohydrate 17.80602264793 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.674711157174155 g
- Fiber 2.7388045923634 g
- Protein 1.54951253933135 g
- Saturated Fat 0.096555555951453 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (596g)
- Sodium 2060.66961140336 mg
- Sugar 15.0672180555666 g
- Trans Fat 0.151327709035514 g
- Calories 87 calories
Step-by-step
- In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine everything except the beans. Stir gently to mix the seasonings and then gently stir in the beans.
- Cover and cook until the chili has thickened and the sweet potato is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
Managing Extended Cook Times
Long simmering durations break down starches and concentrate aromatics without burning the bottom of the pot. Low heat set for seven to eight hours ensures the sweet potato cubes hold their shape rather than turning to mush. High heat reduces the window to four or five hours when urgency dictates the schedule. Ensure the slow cooker insert is filled between half and three-quarters full for optimal heat retention and steady liquid reduction.
Balancing Heat and Sweetness
Chili traditions span across the American Southwest, evolving from dried pepper pastes into modern bean and vegetable stews. Integrating a single canned chipotle pepper alongside ground chili powder and fresh jalapeño introduces layered capsaicin heat. Unsweetened cocoa powder acts as a bitter balancing agent against the natural sugars found in the diced sweet potatoes and fire-roasted tomatoes. Dark beer adds malt complexity, evaporating its alcohol content completely during the multi-hour thermal cycle.
Serving Accompaniments
Heavy stews require contrasting textures at the table to prevent palate fatigue. Provide cold, high-fat dairy such as sour cream to temper the spicy smoke compounds lingering on the tongue. Salty, crisp tortilla chips offer a mechanical crunch against the soft interior of the cooked beans. Diced avocados supply healthy monounsaturated fats that coat the mouth between bites, while raw scallions contribute a sharp, sulfurous bite to cut through the rich tomato base. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to four days, as the flavor profile deepens significantly after twenty-four hours of resting.
