This vegan chili with sweet potatoes and lentils is the perfect meal for a cold winter day! It’s packed with nutrients and fiber from the sweet potatoes, lentils, and veggies.
This recipe, which is one of the first recipes I shared on the blog, is delicious and healthy, too! Feel free to leave out any of the veggies you don’t like or don’t have – with the exception of the sweet potatoes, which make this dish.
Onions, mushrooms, and hot sauce would also be great additions. Especially if you like it spicy!
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Sweet Potato Lentil Chili
Is there anything more comforting than a warm bowl of chili? I think not. I also love that this recipe includes sweet potatoes, which have great flavor and are super nutritious! They (plus the lentils) make the chili super hearty and filling.
This recipe also makes a lot, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers – or freeze some for later! (You’ll find reheating instructions later in this post).
Vegan Chili Ingredients
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- vegetable broth (I recommend low sodium)
- water
- canned diced tomatoes
- dried lentils
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- celery
- green bell pepper
- garlic
- cumin
- cinnamon
- chili powder
As you can see, this vegan chili is veggie packed! If you aren’t vegan, you can also add ground turkey and/or cheese if you want. I also like to add a big handful of kale, but that’s optional!
How to Make Vegan Chili
Start by combining the vegetable broth, water, diced tomatoes, and rinsed lentils into a big pot. (I used a 5-quart pot.)
Bring this to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes. This will soften the lentils. At the same time, chop the garlic, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and green pepper.
Next, toss the garlic, carrots, sweet potato and optional kale into the pot. After about five minutes, add the celery, green pepper, and your spices/seasonings.
Let simmer, stirring frequently, until the soup reaches your preferred level of chili consistency. This should only take about 5 to 10 more minutes. Use a fork to check to make sure the carrots, sweet potatoes, and lentils are soft.
Lastly, ladle into bowls and serve! Feel free to top with marinara sauce, hot sauce, or salsa & cilantro.
How to Reheat Chili from Frozen
If you freeze the chili, you can easily reheat it on the stovetop! Just place in the refrigerator for a day or so to thaw, then dump into a large pot on the stove over medium heat until heated through. I like to wait until it’s just boiling, let it cook for a minute or two, then take it off the heat to serve.
Alternatively, you can microwave it once it’s been thawed in the fridge. Be sure to stir in between each heating interval so it’s warmed evenly.
The full sweet potato vegan chili recipe is at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
Looking for more soup and chili recipes?
- Easy Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry
- Healthy Seafood Chowder with Sweet Potato
- Chicken White Bean Chili Soup
- Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
- Chicken White Bean Chili Soup
- Cantaloupe and Avocado Soup
- Butternut Squash Turkey Chili
- Coconut Curry with Chicken
Want more delicious sweet potato recipes?
- Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans
- How to Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave
- Sweet Potato Muffins with Coconut
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas
- Spiced Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Lentil Vegan Chili with Sweet Potatoes
This sweet potato lentil chili is the perfect meal for a cold winter day, packed with nutrients and fiber from the sweet potatoes, lentils, and veggies.
Ingredients:
- 1 32oz container veggie broth (low sodium if possible)
- 1.5 C water
- 3 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 16oz package dried lentils, rinsed
- 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, diced
- Huge handful kale (optional)
- 2 Tbsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- Hot sauce (optional — to taste)
Instructions:
- Add the veggie broth, water, diced tomatoes, and rinsed lentils into a large pot (mine is 5 quarts). Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes (to soften the lentils) while you’re chopping the garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, and green pepper.
- Throw the garlic, kale, carrots, and sweet potato into the simmering pot, followed about 5 minutes later by the celery and green pepper and your spices. The room will now proceed to smell awesome.
- Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until it reaches the level of cooked consistency you prefer. This shouldn’t take long (maybe 5 to 10 minutes more) — just make sure the carrots, sweet potatoes, and lentils are soft.
- Enjoy! Serve as is or top with extra marinara sauce, hot sauce, or salsa and cilantro.
