Sweet Potato Chili

This year, on the Westcoast we are having an unseasonably warm & dry spell. I keep telling people that we have earned it since last winter & spring were filled with nothing but cold & rain. However, we can tell that Fall is quickly on its way, as the mornings are cooler and nighttime is upon us by 8 pm. Time to cook up some Sweet Potato Chili!

Over the years I have created a number of delicious chili recipes but non have been so popular as my Sweet Potato Chili. I think the reason is that this recipe combines so many vegetables with a variety of beans that make it truly heart warming and rib sticking.

I am calling it Sweet Potato Chili but many people call the sweet potatoes in this recipe yams. Yams are actually very rare, so what your grocery store are calling yams are actually a variety of sweet potatoes – go figure!

What ever you want to call them, the potatoes in this recipe add a delicious depth to the flavors & texture in this chili.

Sweet Potato Chili

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium size orange sweet potato -diced

4 cloves garlic, minced (can be replaced with shallot cloves if sensitive to garlic or 2 cloves of elephant garlic if you are using instead of regular)

1 chopped Green pepper

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. ground Turmeric

1-2 Tbsp. Chile powder (2 will give you some extra heat)

2 Tbsp. extra virgin Olive Oil (you can use a higher heat with extra virgin olive oil than plain olive oil)

1 can (19fl.oz each) black beans –drained and rinsed

1 can 19 fl oz. can garbanzo beans –drained and rinsed

1 can (19 fl/oz.) chili beans -drained and rinsed

1 can small can tomato paste (organic if possible)

1 16 oz. can or glass jar of tomato sauce (organic if possible)

1 large can or bottle of (28fl/oz.) chopped tomatoes (buy tomatoes in a glass container if you can find them-much better for you)

Chopped Cilantro – 3 sprigs (additional for topping if desired)

Method

In a large Dutch oven, cook and stir (in this order) chopped onion, garlic, spices, sweet potato.

Cook for 8-10 minutes in olive oil until the diced sweet potato is softened & the onion is tender, remove from heat. . Now add the celery , green pepper& mushrooms, and sauté till the pepper is bright green.

Add rinsed beans, tomato paste, tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes.

Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes more , stirring occasionally. Add 3 chopped sprigs of cilantro about 10 minutes after the chili starts to simmer.

Optional Garnishes

Top with sliced avocado or guacamole and chopped cilantro for enhanced flavor and some super good for you essential fatty acids.

This Sweet Potato Chili can become part of a whole Mexican Feast if you are entertaining this fall, either for a fun, relaxed dinner party or part of a Big Game afternoon with your friends.