5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This is a really satisifying easy, cheap dish. It makes a lot with just the 5 ingredients and it’s always gone over well when I have guests over.

I add siracha to mine which gives it a really nice kick.

I would give it 6 stars – love this recipe! I added another can of black beans and a can of Mexicorn to make it a little thicker and heartier. I finished the entire pot by myself!

Made this subbing out the water with tomato sauce for a thicker texture and a sweeter flavor. It turned out amazing! My wife and I now make it on a regular basis. Sometimes we add in tempeh or vegan sausage for a protein kick. We used all the suggested spices except for chipotle powder because we don’t usually have that on hand.

Tastes great in tortilla wraps too! (After reducing the stock and water of course.) Also sometimes I sub the sweet potatoes with pumpkins. Lovely!

I made this with chicken broth because I didnt have vegetable broth. Added all the spices but chipotle. Used medium salsa and topped with sour cream to cut a little on the heat. Yummy. Looking forward to warm ups for next couple of lunches.

This was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but only added about a half cup of water so it’d be thicker. I used chili powder, cumin and cinnamon as suggested, and added a sprinkle of paprika. I cooked the onions on the stove for a few minutes, then added the spices and sweet potato for another few minutes, then dumped everything in the crockpot and cooked on low for 7 hours. I topped it with cheddar, avocado, and some crushed tortilla chips. It turned out great and I’m sure the leftovers will be even better. Thanks for this simple yet delicious recipe!

Quick prep, classic ingredients, perfect for a nutritious meal on a cold day. Suspecting it will be more flavorful on day two!

GREAT recipe! Very easy to make and truly enjoyable. I didn’t have salsa on. hand so I used fire roasted diced tomatoes and they worked find. I added all the spices and loved how flavorful it was. Will definitely be freezing some of this! Thanks for sharing.

I LOVE this recipe! It’s simple, easy to make, healthy, and delicious. The fresh cilantro makes the recipe just that much better! I do think the salsa you use can make a huge difference, so keep that in mind.

I love how filling and comforting this chili is, especially on a cold winter day. Thank you for sharing such a healthy and hearty meal!

I made this! I am vegan by need, as I have digestive issues. However, my husband eats whatever. He is NOT vegetarian by any means, but does enjoy most veggies! He absolutely loves this chili! With the chip and the lime! I add those and the guacamole and cilantro (baby steps).
This, is truly a keeper! Thanks Minimalist!
BTW, I added the same spices, plus a tsp. of coriander😋 So good!

Wow, I just made this and, it was delicious. I highly recommend adding the spices they add the perfect amount of kick. I saw some comments about it being on the soupy side so, I added a can of corn and a can of garbanzo beans and it was the perfect chunky consistency for chili!

I just made this and it was delicious! However, I didn’t have any broth or salsa, so I just used a can of Rotel and 2 cups of water, plus the recommended spices! Came out great with just the right amount of heat!

This is my second Halloween with this chili as the main gastronomical event. It’s easy to prepare ahead of time, makes the house smell cozy, and is a crowd pleaser. Plus, the black and orange color is on-point with the holiday, and it warms both trick or treaters and candy distributors who have been outside in the cold. I serve it with chips and guacamole and an apple crisp. Thanks for creating a vegetarian chili that even meat lovers can enjoy!

I made this soup . It is very tasty. I find it too spicy though , next time I will cut the chili in half. I also blended about 2/3rds of the soup in a blended and then put it back to simmer another 5 minutes.
Adding the cilantro , avocado , lime to the serving bowl is an absolute must , it will also tone down the spiciness somewhat.

Added only half the water as others said it is watery, 2 cups was still way too much water and it was a soup not chili. Bummer! Next time I would add only 1/2 or 1 cup of water/broth at a time.

This is super good! I made a few adjustments just due to ingredients I had on hand:
-Added a can of corn
-Subbed chicken broth for veg broth (I’m not vegan and had chicken broth on hand)
-subbed adobo sauce from a can of chili’s in adobo sauce instead of chipotle seasoning

This was a hit, my boyfriend was skeptical but ended up loving it. Thanks for the simple recipe!

We make this recipe regularly and it’s one of our favorite healthy, hearty meals. So much flavor and so ridiculously easy to make. As with most chilis…I think it’s even better the next day! I typically don’t add all the water to manage how thick it is and only add more at the end if it’s needed. We like our chili on the thicker side. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

Awesome! I’ve tried lots of MB recipes, but this one is so simple and so delicious, it’s almost hard to believe. Subbed chicken broth, added chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin. Also added 1 more can of black beans and 1 can of sweet corn. Only used 1 cup of water to make it nice and thick rather than soupy. It thickened up nicely, and leftovers were even better! Served with cheese and tortilla chips. Hearty and satisfying.

I made this during the lock down with ingredients in my pantry. I added corn as one of the comments suggested and served it with grated cheddar and plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Delicious!

Wow this was the perfect thing to make with our pantry dwindling down! We didn’t have a jar of salsa on hand, but we had canned tomatoes and green chiles to add as a substitute along with amping up the spices. We also added a half a green pepper we had left, some carrots we chopped and pinto beans along with the black beans. Never would have thought to add cinnamon and it was SO so good! Thank you!!

I’m amazed by how every recipe I try is so good. Just made this and ate. Flavors were delicious and very easy to make! Thank you! I replaced the water with vege broth and added some fresh garlic. :)

Very good
I made this in early afternoon for dinner later to give a bit of time to meld the flavour . I did not add the water, but I did add a can of corn and I only added cumin and cinnamon for the spices as i did not have any chili powder, but did buy some later, but we tasted it and liked it without so we ate it like that. Yummmy Will make it again for sure

I just made this, and it was very tasty for so few ingredients. I did add another can of beans and a can of corn, omitted the water and did not add the chipotle powder since I didn’t have any. For toppings, I added sour cream and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Amazing! (And I’m not much of a cook.)

This was wonderful and especially great during these times of needing to use what is in the panty. It is definitely better after sitting for a day needs a good amount of salt. I used bone broth instead of water and smoked paprika instead of chipotle powder. Garnished with avocado and cheddar cheese. Delicious! Thank you!

First of all, I have to say that this is hands down my fave food blog <3 ^_^
Secondly, I just got around to making this recipe and it is delicious!! Used black eyed peas instead of black beans and one large sweet potato did the trick for me. Like others, I'll probably use less liquid next time. Didn't have chipotle powder, but smoked paprika was quite tasty.
I'd probably write a little more, but I wanna hurry up and post so I can get into making your vegan/gf biscuits that I love so much and have time to make with this quarantine!

This is amazing!! I will definitely be adding this into my regular weekly dinners/lunches. I left out the water upon reading other comments and let it simmer for some time and it become the perfect consistency for a chili. I used the above spices and a extra cumin/cinnamon, also added some corn. Great recipe, thank you!

I have been making this chili for about a year on a somewhat regular basis. It’s a crowd pleaser and I can usually add additional things to it if I have odd ends. I’ve added ancho chiles or other dried chiles I’ve had on hand to add another depth of flavor, but it honestly doesn’t need much more! I’d highly recommend!

I just made this, and it was awesome, thanks for posting it. Looking forward to the leftovers!

This was a great dinner, and I’m looking forward to today’s leftovers for lunch.

I’ve made this a few times & it never disappoints!! I was able to convert it to my Instant Pot (I have a 6Qt. Duo) by doing the following:

Set to sauté & add oil of choice, when HOT, add onion, sauté 1 min. Then garlic (I added) for ~30 seconds. Then I added my sweet potatoes & seasonings, sautéed about 3 minutes to help them soften. I added my broth (warmed) & deglazed bottom of pan. Add remaining ingredients, place cover on & seal. I used the high pressure “soup/broth” setting for 10 minutes with a quick release. I did not need to use any additional liquid.

This was fantastic and super warming! I put in cumin, cinnamon, and chili powder and served over brown rice. I can’t wait to try it with tortilla chips.

I make this chili all the time! My husband doesn’t really care for sweet potatoes but he loves this chili. We have served many guests this chili and they’re all blown away with the flavor. I love how simple it is, I can whip it up quickly, and have it for lunch leftovers during the week. Thanks!

This soup is so delicious! My husband loved it and it is very filling. I didn’t have salsa so I just improvised with canned tomatoes and additional chopped onions. It turned fantastic.
I like your recipes a lot, keep bringing more vegan gluten free options please!!

This is easy and delicious. I love not having to peel the sweet potatoes. It has a little “kick” to it spice-wise which makes it a great variation on more traditional chili recipes.

SO tasty and simple! We served it over brown rice to make a complete protein. Topped it with cilantro, avocado, and unsweetened plant yogurt (for a sour cream substitute). I added adobo sauce to it which gave it a nice smokey flavor too. I loved the sweetness that the cinnamon brings, too. We are definitely making this again.

GOOD LAWD!!!! BEST CHILI (vegan or non-vegan) I’VE EVER HAD!! Recently switched to a plant-based diet and with recipes like this, I will NOT be missing meat (although I did add plant-based crumbles.) Also added canned chipotle peppers, home-made salsa, and omitted cinnamon.

Rich, Hearty, and Easy. Would give more stars if possible.

I make this all the time! It is just what my body needs after holiday indulgences! Sometimes I purée a little of it to thicken the consistency, but it is great as is, topped with all the things mentioned here or an extra spoonful of salsa and sour cream. Thank you for this recipe!

So good and so simple. Followed the recipe. Not feeling the cinnamon so added chili powder, cumin and chipotle powder. Maybe the cinnamon next time. I’m a big fan of your site. Thank you for all the great recipes!

Very easy and delicious. I added an extra can of beans. I had to serve it over rice though because it was a tad too flavorful. I think maybe I need a less strong salsa next time. Overall very good!

Love this recipe! Easy, healthy, vegan, and delicious!

I added a can or corn, used the suggested chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. I added a touch of smoked paprika.

Thank you!

This has become my go-to chili recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and affordable. I always get compliments even from the meat-lovers.

Wow, very surprised at how delicious this was considering how few ingredients and how quickly it comes together. I had leftover salsa and a huge sweet potato that was on it’s last legs, so I was interested in this. I’m so glad I tried it! I added garlic and an extra can of beans and was so glad I did. Delicious!

It was so good! Everyone loved it. I mistakenly used chicken broth since that is what I had. Very filling and tasted delicious.

This has become an almost weekly staple in our dinner circulation. I always add an extra can of black beans, all 4 optional spices and leave out the hot sauce because kids. We add non-dairy sour cream, cilantro and avocado on top. So easy, so delicious!

Delicious, I followed the comments & left out the water, used a scant 1/2 tsp of chili powder & medium salsa, great addition to my Meatless Mondays recipes!

If you’re not vegan, I added a pound of ground turkey to this and it tasted *amazing.* I followed the other recommendations and added double black beans. Since I added turkey, I used the full broth amount and only one cup of water. The cinnamon really brings this recipe to life! I will definitely be making this again.

Based on how few ingredients this recipe calls for, I did not expect it to be this delicious! My boyfriend and myself loved this chili, and we paired it with some vegan cornbread and they went together perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!

I let it sit in a crockpot overnight, and the flavors melded wonderfully.

I’m over the moon!! I’m not a good cook but I live with a great cook and even my efforts blew him away.. Sooo delicious! I’m taking portions to my relatives who I know will love it. A keeper!

Very easy to follow, I made my own salsa and used cumin and cinnamon for seasoning. It was a big hit with the family, thank you very much ma’am.

Dana: Your recipes are reliably fabulous every time!!

I’ve only had one bowl of this, but know it will get better and better! Like others, I did add an extra can of beans. I also added 1/3 cup of barley when it was boiling, to thicken and add protein.
My spices were lots of cinnamon (because sweet potatoes!), chili powder, ground coriander and a pinch of cumin.

Absolutely devine! My new go-to vegan chili recipe!

Thanks for all the work you do and for sharing your wealth of knowledge. You make being vegan fun!

I had some lingering sweet potatoes that were destined for this chili. The recipe is so simple and came together handily. I used Aldi’s hot organic vegan salsa and added all the spices minus chipotle powder (on the shopping list now because it sounds exciting). Twas so so good and there are no leftovers among the three of us that are it! Thank you so much for this recipe!

I’ve made this about three or four times now and freeze a bunch each time to eat when i don’t have time to cook! Love it. I usually add in a green bell pepper and some garlic. Today also added some ground chicken for the first time so we’ll see how that turns out. I don’t keep a lot of spices on hand so I just use medium salsa for a little kick and then add a bit of cinnamon, salt and pepper, & garlic powder. Love to top it with some guacamole or a little bit of shredded cheese! I only use one can of stock and don’t add any water because I prefer it thicker. Also use two cans of black beans instead of one because they’re my fav thing. I used vegetable stock the first time but didn’t have any on hand the past couple of times so I’ve used chicken stock, both work really well! Awesome recipe!

This chili was amazing I ended up blending half of it so it got really thick and creamy, roasting the sweet potatoes in the oven and I added 1 cup of bulgur to make it more filling and it turned out fantastic! Thank you so much for such a great recipe!

This is an awesome quick dinner, but my wife and I really aren’t fans of sweet potato, so is there anything we can substitute them with?

Oh my gosh, this was so delicious and easy! I added some of the optional spices- chili powder, cumin, and a dash of liquid smoke as I did not have chipotle powder. The day I made it it got great reviews from my guests, but the next day when I ate the leftovers- it was phenomenal!
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!

This was delicious!! Even my kiddos loved it. I cooked it in my crockpot and omitted the water. I love that you can vary the heat by the type of salsa and spices. The cinnamon cumin and chili powder are spot on! I added some smoked paprika and corn. My favorite chili!! Than you for sharing.

This has become a seasonal staple for me. Once the cold months hit I make it about once a month. It’s soooo good. I often times add chicken to get some extra protein in my diet but it’s just as good without!

Yum! I also used chicken stock, and made a smaller batch due to less sweet potatoes in the pantry. I don’t do a lot of spice, so I didn’t use chipotle powder or hot sauce. It turned out great, and I will be keeping this recipe on hand. Thank you!

I just made this soup it is delicious but has way too much liquid in it. If I make it again I will just use the pint of stock and only add further water if necessary. Also it said 3 sweet potatoes is 4 cups but the ones I bought were quite large so that just 2 filled 4 cups maybe thats where I went wrong?

I’m leaving it to settle overnight and will eat some tomorrow. Looking forward to adding the lime, cilantro and avocado. Yummy!

Excellent recipe! Improves with age. The more it sets, the better it gets!

This is honestly one of my favorite chili recipes. It’s so easy and I usually have the ingredients on hand. I’ve made this probably a dozen times (in the Philippines) and love it every time. Thanks for this one!

And yet again a great recipe! Loved the spiciness in combination with the fresh coriander, the sweet potatoe and avocado, such a good combo!

Thank you!

YUM! This chili had me wanting 3rd and 4th helpings. I added lean ground turkey and it turned out just wonderful. Perfect for a snowy day. Thank you!!

I’m making this now for my one year old nephews winter ONE derland birthday and we’re doing a chili cook off. There is a trophy involoved ?!! I used an organic spicy apple salsa and I’m going to also add corn! Super excited! Thanks for sharing!

This recipe is to die for! I normally make vegetarian sweet and spicy chili so this is a wonderful alternative. Perfect recipe to make a day or two ahead of time. I put mine in the crockpot on warm for 4 hours and then the fridge for an hour or two more. It yielded lots of leftovers. This chili is truly at it’s best after it’s marinated for 8+ hours.

OMG, this is sooo yummy! Wowza, my non-vegan boyfriend loved it too!!! Sooo good, Thanks Dana!

And btw, I’ve been loving your food blog, I know that I can come to this site and always find something SIMPLE to make with ingredients I typically already have around the house. You inspire me to cook more! Thanks!

This was a perfect recipe for a -30 day and nearly no groceries in the house. The cinnamon was an absolute must (I kept adding a bit at a time because I wasn’t sure how it would taste, and then probably used more than suggested in the end). Also added fresh roasted cherry tomatoes and frozen corn. And all the chips!

A simple hearty dish to get me through this insanely cold Canadian winter. Loved this recipe. So so easy. I had some zucchini & mushrooms I needed to use up so I chopped them up and tossed it in with the sweet potato for extra nutrition. But I have no doubt the recipe would be amazing as is! I figured the sweet potato would add a lot of sweetness so I was happy to have a mild chunky salsa on hand, with no added sugar. I was happy with the flavour balance (a lot of store-bought salsa’s have too much sugar & sweetness for my liking). Lovely meal!

Thanks for this super easy recipe! I LOVED it and I have passed it (the link) onto my FB group ‘Super Quick Plant=-Based Recipes’ – they will love it AND your site!

I didn’t care for the sweet potatoes in the chili. They added too much sweet element to the recipe. I prefer more of a savory taste.

I made this a few weeks ago and it was an absolute hit! I didn’t add any of the extra spices as I thought the salsa would be enough (which it really was)! I am excited to make this for my friends this weekend as its just so simple and delicious.

My bunco group LOVED It! This is now in my go-to list. So easily put together and such a delicious result. Even I couldn’t mess it up. Thank you. I forgot to take a picture but next time I will!

This is SUCH a great recipe!! I’ve made variations on it weekly for the last month or two. I like to add some frozen fire-roasted corn after it’s nearly done cooking, and I like chili a little thicker, so I mash some of the sweet potatoes and beans and add them back in. What a great, easy starter for lots of different and delicious chilis.

Deeeelicious!!! That’s the consensus of vegans and carnivores alike. I’ve made this several times initially as written and subsequently with little tweaks depending on what I had on hand or who I was cooking for. I have doubled the recipe for potlucks, used canned or fresh tomatoes, played with spices and added corn.
This is a wonderful basic recipe because there are so try.

I made this last night. I only used 1/2 tsp of hot sauce and I found it incredibly spicy (and I love spicy!). It was fine for my husband and I, but I would definitely recommend less spicy ingredients if serving to kids.

This was delicious. I also used slightly less liquid and used an immersion blender on about half the soup to make it slightly thicker. I used all the recommended spices and just used a can of diced tomatoes since we didn’t have any salsa. Turned out so great and made a great lunch for the week.

I just made this with yukon potatoes instead of sweet potatoes and added some kale in during the last few minutes of cooking!! so delicious and perfect for fall weather

I added canned puréed sweet potato, a can of refried (TJ’s) black beans and an additional can of black beans to make a thick and big batch= so good! Kids gobbled, so did we! Thank you

Made this tonight, was awesome. Instead of cinnamon I used curry powder.

I made this tonight in a crockpot and I think it’s pretty delicious! I changed some of the recipe by adding in canned corn and a small red pepper, and I left out the 2 cups of water and chipotle powder. It’s definitely a more sweet tasting chili (adding the corn may have not helped lol). It is super delicious with tortilla chips; the sweet and salty combo is really nice.

If I make this again i’ll probably only put in one cup of soup stock because it is fairly soupy even though I didn’t add the 2 cups of water.

For leftovers I might try to add some hot sauce or more chili powder to try and make it more spicy.

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I made this last night, and it turned out AMAZING!!!! I made some of the changes recommended by other reviewers i.e. I left out the water, so that it was thicker, I added a can of corn, and I added all of the suggested spices and garnishes. We ate it with blue corn tortilla chips, yum!!! It was SO good. My family loved it, and have requested that I make it again VERY soon! Thank you, Dana, for such amazing recipes!

I made this recipe and it is to die for!!! 5 star all the way!! I used chili powder, chipotle spice, and cumin powder. Then I went and lost the recipe!! I have been going crazy looking at all the websites I visit and finally found it again! I have emailed it to myself, bookmarked it, screen shot it and Pinned it! Now all I have to do is memorize the 5 ingredients. Lol! I will not lose it again! This is a must try! Thank you so much for such a great recipe!