PINTO BEAN AND SWEET POTATO CHILI

It has been a bit windy and cold in Las Vegas these past few days which is unusual, as we typically get beautiful warm, early summer type of weather at this time of the year.  This weather makes me crave comfort food, snuggled up on the couch with a warm blanket. And when I think of comfort food, a big bowl of heart warming chili is usually what pops into my head.

The beautiful thing about chili's is that they are quite simple to make, and super satisfying. You just throw a few ingredients together along with a few key spices, let it simmer until all the flavors come together, and the vegetables are tender. You can make it as fiery as you wish just by adjusting the spice level, and voila... you get a nice, satisfying meal in no time!

I think you have realized by now that I have a love affair with sweet potatoes. I find them so flavorful, and absolutely love the texture that they provide. I had to put some in my chili. So here we go, one more dish with sweet potatoes.

I hope you love them as much as I do!

PINTO BEAN AND SWEET POTATO CHILI

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion,chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 carrot, grated

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2- 3/4 inch cubes (about 2 cups)

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped small
4 garlic cloves, chopped small
3 cups of vegetable broth

1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water to soften, then drained

2 large, juicy tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)

4 cups of cooked pinto beans (about 1 3/4 cups dried)*

3 tablespoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon of ground cumin powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat up the olive oil under medium heat, and saute the onions for 4-5 minutes until they are translucent.

Add the celery, red pepper, carrot, sweet potatoes, jalapeno, and garlic, and saute for another 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the broth and the sun-dried tomatoes in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Add the broth mixture together with all the other ingredients in the pot, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and let everything simmer for 45-50 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Serve warm into individual bowls
You can add vegan sour cream, vegan cheese or avocado pieces as a topping if you would like.

This will make 6 servings

* To cook the pinto beans, please refer to this link: How to cook beans

Enjoy!