Soul-Warming Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili

Chili is a new thing for me. I only started eating it two years ago, and man, do I have some catching up to do! (I know, this is unbelievable to admit, isn’t it?!)

It’s because of this Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili that I want to keep trying this hearty dish more and more. It is an endlessly customizable type of meal, one that’s super comforting when it’s really cold and the wind is unkind. Maybe even when there’s some snow happening, too.

This sweet potato chili is cozy, warm, a tiny bit spicy, and super easy to make.

How to Customize This Sweet Potato Chili

Not a fan of sweet potato?

Ok, so sweet potato is a pretty important part of this recipe. But guess what? You can 100 percent use regular (preferably Yukon gold) potatoes for this recipe. Yukon golds hold up the best in soups, stews, and chilis like this. We like sweet potato because it adds a good balance to the smoky-spicy chipotle pepper.

This recipe would also work well with butternut squash or whole pumpkin (not canned) to replace the sweet potato. Any other orange squash would work, too, such as kabocha or even honey nut squash.

Change up the veggies

I kept it very simple here with the veggies. In the recipe, we have diced tomatoes, green bell pepper and green onions. But you can totally make it your own. Here are some ideas:

• Corn
• Green beans
• Peas and carrots
• Red or yellow onion
• Red, orange or yellow bell pepper, or any other kind of mild sweet pepper
• Jalapeno or serrano pepper
• Spinach, kale or Swiss chard (arugula is too peppery and delicate; skip that); you can even use beet greens for some earthiness
• Zucchini or yellow squash
• Cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Just keep in mind that you’re blending up a portion of this recipe to get that great chili texture. If the idea of blended up zucchini or cauliflower isn’t your jam, that’s ok. You can keep them whole for texture instead. In that case, I recommend cooking those ingredients separately on the stove or in the oven and adding it to your chili after the sweet potato base has been blended.

Note that the ingredients in this recipe (the bell pepper, onion and tomatoes) taste awesome pureed, but that texture might not work for all ingredients. It might take a couple of rounds of making this dish with substitutions to get it completely to your liking.

What about the protein in this chili?

The pinto beans provide the protein in this vegan recipe. But they don’t have to be your choice.

But if you want to swap them out for black beans, chickpeas, light or dark red kidney beans, white beans or even tofu (that could be so good–just make sure you pan sear it well beforehand), go for it!

If you’re not vegan/vegetarian, I’d try ground meat (any kind) or shredded chicken or pork in this recipe. Ground turkey would be especially good; so would ground beef.

Tuna, shrimp, or salmon isn’t going to taste right in this dish; the flavors will overpower and the texture won’t be right, or a combination of both.

Pro tip: If you use ground meat, cook it in the first step with the onions to brown it for about 5 minutes. Then follow the recipe as written.

Make this Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili with the toppings

Let’s be real. You can take ANY chili, any kind, and make it something completely different with the toppings.

I topped mine with sliced green onion and tortilla chips crumbled on top right before eating.

You can top this chili with cheese, radishes, shredded carrot, cilantro, a fried egg, chips, bread, croutons, avocado, olives, shredded lettuce or sour cream.

Make it your own!

How to add more volume to or double this chili

To double this chili recipe, simply double the ingredients. but maybe cut back on the liquid (broth and water) by a cup or two. You may have to cook this in batches or in two pots at once depending on the size of your kitchen equipment.

To add more volume, an easy way would be adding an extra can of beans to the recipe (choose from the list above). Or pick another vegetable from the list above. If you eat meat, you could add more protein in the form of ground turkey, chicken, beef or pork too!

You can also bulk up this meal by serving it with a green salad and/or some crusty bread. I also love cornbread with any kind of chili.

How to store and reheat this sweet potato chipotle chili

This sweet potato chili lasts in the fridge for up to four days. And like all good chilis and stews, the longer it sits, the more the flavors develop. Score! It’s freezer friendly, too! You can freeze it for up to six months. Reheat this meal in the microwave or on the stove before eating.

Happy prepping!

More Chili Meal Prep Recipes

• White Bean Chili
• The Best Slow Cooked Beef Chili
• 10 Minute Chili Meal Prep
• 11 Best Chili Meal Preps

Sign up for the WWL Program to Unlock THIS RECIPE