This Three Bean Sweet Potato Chili makes the perfect family meal. Minimal effort, maximum flavour & budget friendly. Plus you’ll have plenty of leftovers for another day!
This Three Bean Sweet Potato Chili is one of our favourite mid week dinners. It is one of those meals, along with my One-Pot Spicy Vegetable Rice, my Sticky Chili Ginger Tofu and my Lentil Shepherd’s Pie, that is in regular rotation because we enjoy it so much and also because it is so convenient. There is absolute minimal effort and hands on time needed and the finished chili is crammed full of flavour.
I originally published this recipe when I first started my blog and the photos really didn’t do it justice. Because of this it hasn’t been as popular as it deserves to be so I decided to give it a face lift and reshoot the pictures when I made it for dinner a few weeks ago.
The easiest way to cook this chili is in a slow cooker. Just throw everything in then leave it to bubble away slowly while you go off and do other things. It works equally well in a pan if you don’t have a slow cooker.
As well as being easy and flavourful, this Three Bean Sweet Potato Chili is really budget friendly. It makes a lot so is great for hungry families and it reheats and freezes really well. The leftovers always seem to taste even better and are perfect for those nights when you don’t have the time or energy to cook.
I use dried beans which I soak overnight. There is no need to pre-cook them like most recipes. Just throw them in as they are and let your slow cooker do all the hard work. If you do not have dried beans feel free to use tinned beans instead. Remember though that if you use tinned beans the chili won’t take as long to cook.
This Three Bean Sweet Potato Bean Chili is lovely served with crusty bread, rice or a jacket potato. It is extra good with a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving and a dollop of vegan sour cream. A few slices of avocado on top are also wonderful!
If you like this recipe then you might also enjoy my Spicy Black Beans recipe. It is even easier to make and just as delicious! Also check out 21 Delicious Ways to Celebrate National Pepper Month over on Parade’s Community Table. It’s written by me and features some awesome recipes!
Three Bean Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 300g | 1½ cups dried beans , soaked overnight. I used half a cup each of lima, black beans and black eyed beans but any beans work so use whatever you have in your store cupboard. If using kidney beans please see recipe note. (You can sub 3 14-16oz cans of beans instead of dried beans).
- 28fl oz / 796 mls crushed tomatoes , chopped tomatoes would also work but blend them up until smooth before using
- 1 large onion , chopped finely
- 1 large sweet potato , peeled and cubed
- 4 fat cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
- 1-2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (I used 2 as I like it spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cacao , cocoa powder or 1 square of good quality dark chocolate (trust me here, it works!)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional but brings out the flavours. Any sugar will do but I use coconut sugar)
- 500mls | 2 cups water , (reduce to 200mls if using tinned or pre-cooked beans).
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into your slow cooker .
- Stir them well
- Set slow cooker to your desired heat setting depending on how long you want it to cook for, I cooked mine on low for about 7 hours as I was at work all day but if you set it to high it would be ready after about 4 hours.
- If you don't have a slow cooker you can also cook this in a pan or in the oven. Start by sautéing the onions and garlic then add all of the other ingredients. I don't use any oil and just use a dry pan but if you want to use a little oil that's fine too. Simmer for as long as you can to get the best flavour but at least until the beans are tender, 3 hours at least, less if you are using pre-cooked or canned beans. If using canned it could be ready in as little as 40 minutes. The longer it simmers the better it will be though! If cooking in the oven set oven to 300°F and cook until the beans are tender and the sauce rich and thick.
- Check your beans are cooked through and soft before serving.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Susan says
July 15, 2018 at 2:59 pmHI there. I would like to try this recipe as it looks tasty! What do you have on the top of it? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
July 15, 2018 at 3:23 pmOn top is some cashew “sour cream”. Just 1/2 a cup of raw cashews blended with enough water to make a thick cream, usually about 1/4 of a cup, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, plus some salt to taste. It will keep for around a week in the fridge but will thicken as it sits. Just add a little water to loosen it up again. Enjoy!
Amy Lyons says
January 12, 2017 at 5:35 pmThis sounds so good! I love chili and I love sweet potatoes, so combining them is perfection :)!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 12, 2017 at 10:07 pmThank you Amy! It’s one of our favourite dinners. I cook it almost every week!
Casey @ Two City Vegans says
September 28, 2016 at 8:48 amLove the spices you used in this. I love chili. It’s one of the most comforting foods EVER. <3
A Virtual Vegan says
September 28, 2016 at 8:54 amThank you Casey! I love chili too. It’s perfect for this time of year.
kim says
August 15, 2016 at 7:10 pmThis sounds really good! I haven’t used my crockpot in awhile and this looks like a great reason to get it back out =)
I really love anything with sweet potatoes and beans. And I really appreciate that you can just soak the beans and then put them in the crockpot to cook with everything else, without having the extra step of cooking them if you were to make chili in a pot.
A Virtual Vegan says
August 15, 2016 at 8:47 pmThanks Kim. You won’t regret it. It’s so tasty!
Tara says
August 11, 2016 at 12:16 amThis chili was a big hit for me and my partner. He was iffy about vegan noms, but It’s very hearty and filling. The only thing I would do differently would be to add corn next time. YUM!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 11, 2016 at 7:05 amI am so glad you both enjoyed it. It would be lovely with corn added. I will try that next time I make it too. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback Tara. I really appreciate it :O)
Heather @Gluten-Free Cat says
August 6, 2016 at 1:30 pmI’m always looking for good slow cooker recipes and I LOVE veggie chili. Saving this for my next batch!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 6, 2016 at 1:34 pmEnjoy Heather!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 5, 2016 at 9:30 pmThanks Rebecca. I’ll take any excuse to eat a big pile of rice!
Alisa Fleming says
August 5, 2016 at 8:56 pmOoh I love sweet potato chili! And over that mound of rice it looks irresistible!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 5, 2016 at 9:29 pmThank you Alisa :O)
Becky Striepe says
August 5, 2016 at 1:51 pmThis looks so nice! I love chili any time of year.
A Virtual Vegan says
August 5, 2016 at 9:29 pmThanks Becky, me too!
Linda @ Veganosity says
August 5, 2016 at 1:21 pmEven though it’s hot and sunny in Chicago I could go for a bowl of this chili. Looks delicious!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 5, 2016 at 9:29 pmI eat chili no matter what the weather!
Alison Young says
August 25, 2015 at 10:54 amWe had this tonight for dinner and we loved it. The slow cooking is a brilliant idea; I put it together after lunch and it cooked happily away all day, so there was very little effort required. The texture of the sweet potato was divine. This is a very easy, tasty meal. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 25, 2015 at 10:57 amI am so pleased that you enjoyed the chilli Alison. The leftovers end up tasting even better so you have those to look forward to! And thank you for taking the time to comment! ????
dishofdailylife says
August 12, 2015 at 5:10 pmThis looks great and I am always up for easy meals! Plus we love beans here! Thanks for sharing your chili with us at #FoodieFriDIY…sharing it on my Facebook page right now! Hope you are having a great week!
A Virtual Vegan says
August 12, 2015 at 5:12 pmI have it for dinner tonight. It’s one of my favourite work day meals as there is no effort involved at all! Thank you for sharing it! I appreciate it ????