Sweet Potato and Corn Chili

I have been gunning for fall and soup season since mid-July. So you beat that as soon as it cooled down I jumped on the opportunity to make one of my fall favorites: Chili. Chili is a big time comfort food for me. Any time I see a burgundy stained spoon and smell the mix of onion and chili powder I am transported home. It was a fall staple in our house and no one makes veggie chili quite like my mom. Can you tell Covid has made me homesick?

Anyway, I didn’t want to just make my standard beans and corn chili, I wanted to jazz it up with a little natural sweet and spicy action. Pumpkins unfortunately weren’t an option, they aren’t in season yet. So settled for another sugary favorite: Roasted sweet potatoes.

These tasty tubers provided the perfect level of sweetness and their roasted outer layer pared well the other earthy spices present. My favorite part of chili is that you throw everything in the pot and then just let it sit all day until it has reached perfection. And believe me, you want to let it sit all day. It does amazing things for the flavor – harmonizing the sweet with the spicy and savory. Plus, what is more comforting then a slow cooking pot of chili?

This recipe yields about 4 serving but can easily be doubled. I generally only cook for one so it is enough for me for a few days!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 medium sweet potatoes – washed and diced
• 1 small yellow onion – chopped
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 large carrot – chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (or 1 – 16oz can diced tomatoes)
• 1 red jalapeno – finely chopped (optional and substitutable)
• 1 large ear of corn – kernels shaved off
• 1/2 tsp. marjoram*
• 1 tbsp. chili powder*
• 1 tsp. cumin*
• 1/2 tsp. coriander*
• 2 tsp. paprika*
• 4 whole cloves (1/2 tsp. ground)*
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg*
• 2 tbsp. Corn starch
• 4 cups (2 – 16oz cans) of your favorite beans **
• 6 cups veggie stock
• salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp. olive oil and salt + pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes – stir and check for doneness. Cook for another 10 until crispy
2. Heat oil over medium low heat in a large pot – add in onions with a healthy pin of salt and cook until fragrant and translucent ~ 5 to 7 minutes
3. Add in garlic and carrots and cook for an additional 3 minutes
4. Stir tomatoes and spices into the mixture and let simmer until the tomatoes begin to break apart (10 minutes). Add in corn starch, using a whisk as needed to remove clumps
5. Next add beans, corn, and veggie stock – bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
6. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and add immediately to the chili – reduce heat to low and cover. Let stand for at least 30 minutes – I prefer mine to go for hours but this will be sufficient.
7. Serve with all your favorite chili toppings and maybe even some corn bread!

Enjoy!

Notes:

*can sub spices for your favorite chili seasoning
** I used black turtle and red beans in my chili. I soaked 1 cup of beans in 3 cups of water + 1 tsp. baking soda + 1 tsp. salt. If you are doing it from dry you can add the beans – liquid and all – straight into the pot and reduce the amount of stock to 3 cups. For canned beans it is up to you if you want to use the bean liquid or not!