Description
Hearty Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili with Black Beans is so thick and satisfying you’d never know it’s meatless!
This vegan quinoa chili has a deep, rich flavor thanks to a base of tomatoes, quinoa, sweet potatoes, black beans, and classic chili spices. It’s a one-pot, 45 minute meal that’s perfect to meal prep and enjoy all week long. Just load up on your favorite vegan chili toppings!
Naturally vegetarian, dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free with Slow Cooker and Instant Pot directions included.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1-2 chipotle peppers (from a can, in adobo sauce), finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (see Recipe Notes, below)
- Two 14-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes, with their juices
- Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable stock or broth
- 1 large, juicy lime, juiced
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: cashew crema or shredded cheese (or vegan cheese), smashed avocado or guacamole, sliced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.
Instructions
- Cook the veggies: Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 4 qt) over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper, and sweet potato. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the spices: Add the chipotle peppers, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, chili powder, cocoa powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and dried oregano to the pot, stirring to coat the veggies. Cook for 2-3 minutes, to allow the spices to bloom.
- Build and simmer the chili: Add the Worcestershire sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, quinoa and veggie stock/broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the chili is thickened slightly and the quinoa is cooked. To finish the chili, squeeze in fresh lime juice and taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper as needed. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="14667,14668,14669,14670"]
- Serve: Ladle the chili in individual bowls and finish with toppings of choice – cashew crema or shredded (vegan) cheese, smashed avocado or guacamole, sliced jalapeno, pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce: If keeping your quinoa chili vegetarian or vegan is important to you, be sure to use vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce. My favorite vegan Worcestershire is Annie’s, which is also certified organic. If you have a hard time finding vegan-friendly Worcestershire, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of soy sauce (or tamari, or coconut aminos).
- Storage: To store, transfer cooled quinoa chili to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Leftover quinoa chili will keep for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezing: This quinoa chili is very freezer-friendly! To freeze, transfer cooled quinoa chili to an airtight freezer container. (These are my absolute favorite!) Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Alternative cooking methods:
- Slow Cooker or Crock Pot: Prep the veggies and spices according to Steps 1-2, above. Transfer the spiced veggie mixture to the slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients as directed in Step 3. Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the quinoa chili as directed in Step 3. Serve as directed in Step 4. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire vegan quinoa chili recipe (Steps 1-3) in the slow cooker.
- Instant Pot: Use the Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-2, above. Build the chili in the Instant Pot according to Step 3, then cover and seal. Cook on manual high pressure for 4 minutes (it will take 15-20 minutes for pressure to build). When the timer goes off, quick release by carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position. If the chili seems a little too liquidy, feel free to turn on the Sauté setting again, letting the chili simmer down a little before finishing and serving as directed in Steps 3-4.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Most of the active prep time involved with this recipe is chopping up the veggies. With just a little prep, you can cut down on all active prep the night you want to throw it together. Pick and choose from the list below, or do it all and all you’ll have to do at dinnertime is get cooking – easy!
- Dice 1 large yellow onion
- Deseed and dice 1 bell pepper
- Peel and dice 2 medium sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes
- Optional: Prep desired toppings, such as making a batch of guacamole or cashew crema.
- Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.