Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili – A Super Food for a Super Cause

When ONE.org asked me to help raise awareness about their campaign to fight chronic malnutrition, using the humble sweet potato, I had one important question…if I agreed, would I get some kind of tote bag?

When I was informed there was no tote bag, I decided to check out their info anyway, and I’m very glad I did. While I was shocked to learn that millions of children die each year from malnutrition, it was heartening to learn what a huge difference this delicious “super-food” could make.

To help spread the word, I offer up this colorful, and very tasty, roasted sweet potato and black bean chili. I really enjoyed this 100% vegetarian version, and the extra step of roasting the potatoes not only concentrated the sweet, earthy flavors, but gave the starchy chunks a marvelously meaty texture.

Anyway, I’m going to sign off so I can go add “Helped Bono fight childhood malnutrition” to my resume, but I sincerely hope you take a minute and check out One.org for more information about this sweet potato campaign, as well as sign the nutrition petition. Thank you, and as always, enjoy!


Ingredients:
2 lbs orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tbsp cumin
2 or 3 tbsp Ancho chili powder, or other chili powders, or to taste
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 can (28-oz) diced or crushed tomatoes
1 cup water, more as needed
1 tbsp corn meal
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
2 cans (15-oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
cayenne to taste
sour cream and cilantro to garnish

View the complete recipe


50 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the yummy recipe. I signed the petition.

Anonymous said...

Would it still be good if I left out the jalapenos? My children love sweet potatoes and chili, but I'm wondering if it would be a bit too spicy for them.

Chef John said...

Just use a green bell pepper instead!

Margie said...

Thanks! I love your blog. Would I be able to roast butternut squash instead of sweet potato? Would it hold up after roasting, like the sweet potato? We've got a bumper crop of butternut squash from our garden - hence the question. Thanks so much!

Chef John said...

Not sure, not as starchy as SW. But only one way to find out. ;)

Unknown said...

This was my Foodwish! =) Just discovered you! TY!

Matt said...

Looks good, now we just throw in some meat and we are set! It cant be supper if theres no meat.

Kent said...

This sounds great. This is the video of yours that I'm watching so forgive me if it's been asked before...

Is that a bamboo cutting board? If so, what do you do to take care of yours? I've heard a lot of different things

Chef John said...

Yes, bamboo. We just wash with soap and water!

Jesse from Detroit said...

Until the sour cream, you had a vegan recipe there! (Might be a good link for the homepage.) I'll be making this for my boss and colleague (both vegans) next time they come over. Looks like a righteous chili!

Dr Venkmen said...

Looks fantastic, Chef John! I have a question about roasting the sweet potato - could I get the same effect if I sauté the potatoes instead? I'm living abroad in South Korea and my kitchenette has NO oven. Times are tough, I'll get by.

Big fan of yours, thanks!

Chef John said...

I wouldn't bother pan frying. Just cook in the chili. Enjoy!

Lisa said...

This looks fantastic. Perfect for autumn. Did you cover with a lid or leave uncovered when simmering?

Chef John said...

Uncovered. Enjoy!

cookinmom said...

Ok, can't stand it! Just a tiny, weenie, itsie, bitsie bit of sausage!

Claire said...

Goodness! You know how to make people’s mouth water. I had a good afternoon meal, yet I feel hungry looking at this :-)

Kadie said...

Hi Chef John, I'm currently in Saudia Arabia and I searched for ground chipotle powder and ancho chili powder, but I couldn't find any. All I have now is regular "chili powder" and cayenne pepper powder. Can I use these in place of the chilis you used, and if yes, which for which? Thanks!

Chef John said...

Yes, you can use cayenne for chipotle and chili for the ancho!

Psyrixx said...

I think you mistyped the ingredients!

I put 3 Tbsp Ancho Chili powder in there and our Chili was so spicy it was almost inedible, despite the wonderful presentation. And I love spicy food.

Should that have been 3 tsp or 1 Tbsp? =)

https://twitter.com/psyrixx/status/256553798036774912

Chef John said...

I used 3 tbsp in mine, and it was perfect. Maybe you got a spicy batch of ancho? I've found it to be a fairly mild chili powder, but I know it can vary between brands. Anyway, maybe I'll change ing. list to 2 to 3 tbsp, or "to taste" to be safe.

Anonymous said...

Just made this tonight. It was fantastic. I can't see much room for improvement. Though I did grind my own chili peppers. This may become my favorite chili dish.

Unknown said...

I am about to make this for my girlfriend, however, I only have Ghiradelli sweetened cocoa. If I omit the sugar the recipe calls for, can this be used?

Unknown said...

I only have Ghiradelli sweetened cocoa. If I omit the sugar in the recipe, can this be used? I know you said unsweetened, but IT'S ALL I HAVE!!!!! Thanks Chef John, I've used a ton of your recipes and always give credit where it's due.

Chef John said...

do it to taste, but that should work.

Unknown said...

New plan! Just told my girlfriend I was making a veggie chili JUST for her and she bought me the unsweetened cocoa! Totally awesome!

Anonymous said...

I tried this and served it over spaghetti squash. Turns out that was a most excellent idea. This is a very good chili.

Corey said...

Could I use veggi stock insted of water?

Chef John said...

Of course not!! ;)

lisa0116 said...

I made this yesterday and it is SCRUMPTIOUS! Thank you Chef John for another great recipe!

Lisa in Atlanta

Anonymous said...

I've made this twice now, and it is FANTASTIC! Thank you for a healthy recipe that we can enjoy and feel good about eating.

The roasted sweet potatoes with chipotle pepper really make this special.

I added a 14 oz can of tomato sauce to the chili, but otherwise made no changes.

Me.Eat.Food said...

When I saw this recipe it sounded like a great combination and I knew I had to try it. Today was the day! Amazing...the sweetness of the potatoes and onions combined with the earthiness of black beans and the hot chilis made this an instant winner. It was pretty mild as the recipe goes, so I added Arnold...yum!

This recipe is a keeper!

jorsh said...

Awesome! I ground my own chile powder: 2 ancho, 2 chipotle, and 1 guajillo. This turned out to be about 3 Tbsp or so when ground. With 1 large jalapeno, it was perfectly spiced. The smoke from the chipotle really gives it something extra!

moccy said...

I just bought a dutch oven pot after wanting it for so long, and decided to cook this recipe for its maiden performance. This is the first time I ever taste chili. I mistakenly bought normal potato instead of yellow and baked it in a small toaster, used green and yellow bell pepper, chili powder and cayenne. I used red bean instead of black bean and over-simmered.. Nevertheless, everything turns out so great! The spiciness is quite mild but very comforting in the rainy weather. A perfect and healthy dish for my diet, and the sweet potato is just amazingly delicious I also forgot it's vegetarian! Thank you, chef John!

Tommassive said...

I just made this! Turned out pretty good. I find chili kinda meh most of the time. I added some extra kick and i did end up added a small amount of ground pork. Interesting recipe.

Anonymous said...

For reference: the whole pot comes out to about 1870 calories.

maryann said...

Chef John
I' m not a fan of sweet potatoes, could i use russet potatoes??

maryann said...

Chef John
I' m not a fan of sweet potatoes, could i use russet potatoes??

Denise Kappa said...

I loved this! Made it for my sweet potato hatin' husband and he liked it too! Huge success. Thanks for the recipe!

Lyndsey said...

Made this a couple of weekends ago for a friend who was coming up for lunch... It really impressed her and the other 5 people who ended up eating it as well! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe :)

S/V Blondie-Dog said...

Greetings Chef,

This chili was indeed quite tasty and easy to make! ...nothing complicated or pretentious but comforting nonetheless. And to think that I only thought that sweet potatoes came only in cans. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Making this as I speak. Trying to keep hands off the sweet potato fries while I wait for them to cool. Added some chorizio to start. I think this is going to rock!

Sandy said...

Chef John, you've done it again. This was fantastic. The spice level from the two chili powders was perfect, too...but, I will concede that I seeded my jalapeno like the big sissy I am.

WillnMay said...

Super Amazing!! This is the only chili recipe we make now! Sorry Mom! :-)

WillnMay said...

Super Amazing!! This is the only chili recipe we make now! Sorry Mom! :-)

Olivia said...

I made this chili about a month ago,and let me tell you it was OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICOUS! I didn't have plain chipotle powder, so I used Lawry's fire roasted chili and garlic seasoning, which has chipoli and roasted paprika in it. It really brought out the flavors in this chili very, very well and gave it a nice and mild smokey flavor. I also accidentally added 1 tbsp of cocoa instead of 1 tsp haha, but it worked out good and I will do the same thing the next time. I added a can of sweet corn as well and made some fresh corn bread muffins to accompany this wonderful dish. It's the best chili I ever had and will definitely make it again and again! Thanks for this wonderful recipe.

cookinmom said...

Cool...I'm gonna' pressure cook all the ingredients except the black beans and sweet potatoes first and then add the rest!! I'll will enjoy!!!

Jevand said...

Will it work if I shallow fry the potatoes, instead of baking them?

Poingat Opinion said...

I always add teaspoon of ginger to any recipe with cooked tomatoes and leave out the sugar. It takes away the bitterness without adding calories and raising the glycemic index.

Fat Cobra said...

What brand of vegetable peeler is that? I'm jealous every time I see you peel something.

Coppertopcurls said...

Coppertopcurls said..
For those of you who aren't fond of spicy jalapenos, remove all the seeds and veins. By so doing the heat is removed. If you're still skeptical try a can or two of mild diced green chilies for extra flavor and zero heat/spice.