Sweet Potatoes Are The Key For A Thick And Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Think chili, and what comes to mind is likely a hot and hearty stew. If you don't eat meat, it can be hard to get the same results using just beans and tomatoes. However, adding sweet potatoes to your recipe will help create a more substantial vegetarian chili that will satisfy your taste buds and stick to your ribs.

What makes this addition work? For one thing, the texture of these tasty tubers is distinct from the other ingredients, giving you an appealing variety in every spoonful. Sweet potatoes absorb less water than white ones so they cook down to a creamy texture that is in between tomatoes and the firmer bite of chili beans. They're also high in important nutrients like vitamin A, C, iron, and potassium, along with fiber, which helps you feel full after you eat. And like their name says, they bring a sweetness that plays well with the acidic tang of tomatoes, the nutty, earthy flavor of beans, and the heat of spices. 

These colorful vegetables cook fairly fast. If you're in a hurry, you can dice them and drop them into your veggie-friendly chili at the same time as you add the broth and spices. Just poke them with a fork to make sure they're tender before serving. However, if you're looking for a more complex flavor profile, you may want to try roasting them first. Remember that your goals may be different than if you were preparing roasted sweet potatoes on their own. For chili, you're probably not trying to capitalize on their sweetness, so you can skip the freezing step that bring their sugariness to the forefront. You won't need a crisp, caramelized texture for this dish, either, so there's no need to bake them until they get to that point.

Instead, you can use them to soak up savory flavors to spice up your chili. After cubing them and brushing them with oil, roast them with heat-building ingredients like cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or chipotle powder, or pick a more pungent choice like garlic or onion. You can also add more herbaceous notes like oregano, bay leaves, or rosemary, or take a cue from Mexican cuisine, which uses cinnamon in savory dishes. Once they've started to brown, toss them into the pot where they can continue to tenderize. You'll soon have everyone in the kitchen lined up for a bowl of hearty, satisfying sweet potato chili.