The easiest and tastiest vegetarian sweet potato chili! Made with sweet potatoes and veggie crumbles to add warmth and texture, this recipe is sure to please even the heartiest of meat eaters!
Combining the earthy flavor of root veggies, rich tomato sauce and lots of herbs and spices, this vegetarian chili recipe will truly knock your socks off. The vegetarian ground beef substitute also adds plenty of robust flavor as well as texture, and can easily fool the biggest carnivores.
Why this recipe works
- This recipe comes together so quickly because it calls for basic pantry staples and fresh ingredients that are available all year round.
- While some chilis require hours of cooking on the stovetop, this one is ready in just about 30 minutes. I often serve it on Halloween nights since it’s the perfect hearty meal for cool but busy nights.
- The spice blend used is also one that can be used a number of ways, so I recommend making a quadruple batch of it to always have on hand.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes – We used two sweet potatoes for this chili.
- Parsnips – optional but I highly recommend as it adds an earthiness to the dish!
- Vegetarian veggie crumbles – these are crumbles that resemble the texture of ground beef. These crumbles give the recipe a really yummy flavor and make it feel like a much heartier, more filling chili.
- Sweet potatoes – We used two sweet potatoes for this chili.
- Parsnips – optional but I highly recommend as it adds an earthiness to the dish!
- Vegetarian veggie crumbles – these are crumbles that resemble the texture of ground beef. This is one of the best secret ingredients I use because it gives my vegetarian recipes a really yummy flavor and make it feel like a much heartier, more filling chili.
- 1 can each of whole peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce – this will of course be the base of the soup and help thicken it.
- Red kidney beans – I prefer the light red if they’re available, but also feel free to use black beans or pinto beans!
- Diced onions and 1 red bell pepper cubed – feel free to use any color bell peppers you like and either a yellow or red onion
- Vegetable broth – you can of course use chicken broth but then it wouldn’t be vegetarian 🙂
- Classic chili spices and chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – The recipe calls for a blend of seasonings including chili powder (or cayenne pepper), cumin, coriander, and black pepper. I like using 1 chipotle but if you are a fan of heat, definitely add 1-2 more.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1 – Grab a large pot or a large dutch oven, and heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. When warmed, add in your onions and stir, cooking till translucent. Stir in your garlic and cook for less than a minute, till it gets that yummy smell. Add in the parsnips, sweet potatoes, and herbs and spices, and give it a good stir. Cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes and parsnips start to soften up just the tiniest bit.
Step 2 – Add in your vegetable broth, kidney beans, whole tomatoes and tomato sauce, making sure to break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes, till the potatoes and parsnips are fork tender.
Step 3 – Now it’s time to stir in the veggie crumbles, and cook till just heated through. You can leave the chili simmering on the lowest setting until you are ready to serve.
Recipe FAQ’s
If stored properly in the fridge, cooked chili will easily last 3-4 days. You don’t want to leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours, so make sure once you have gotten your fill of chili, quickly cover it and transfer it to the fridge.
You can store chili in the freezer for about 4 months. To freeze, place room temperature or chilled chili (not hot directly from the stove) in a tightly sealed airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.
To reheat the chili, let thaw in the fridge for a few hours, and then place in a pot and warm over medium heat. Keep covered to retain moisture, and season to taste.
We’re not typically fans over here either, but I promise in this soup it tastes really delicious! I doubt anyone would even realize it’s not ground beef.
This veggie chili comes together so quickly it’s not totally necessary to make it in the crock pot, but if you do want to put it to go ahead of a long day or party, here’s how. Warm the onions and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a microwave safe dish for 3-4 minutes, till fragrant and soft. Toss into the slow cooker, along with the rest of your ingredients except the veggie crumbles. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, then stir in the meat crumbles and heat till warmed through.
Expert tips
The first time I cooked with these beef veggie crumbles, I made the mistake of over-salting my dish. The crumbles have a lot of flavor and salt and instantly transform an entire dish when mixed into it. So salt with a light touch and make sure to taste after adding the crumbles, before adding more salt.
During the summer months, you can certainly swap out the sweet potatoes for summer squash. Just cook at a lower heat reduce cooking time as needed to accommodate for the softer texture of the summer squash.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings including tortilla chips, avocado, green onions, cheddar cheese or even vegan sour cream if you really want this to be a vegan meal.
More Easy & Comforting Soup Recipes
Traditional Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup
Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or rating, letting me know how you enjoyed it! Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, and never miss a post by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- ½ Onion Diced
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 2 medium Sweet potates Peeled & cut into cubes
- 2 medium Parsnips Peeled & cut into 1"-2" chunks
- 2 15 ounce Cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can Tomato sauce
- 28 ounce can Whole peeled tomatoes
- 12 ounce Package of vegetarian beef crumbles
- 1 whole Red, yellow or orange pepper seeded and cubed
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1-2 Whole chipotle in adobo sauce, diced fine these are spicy so use according to the heat you want
- 1 cup Vegetable broth
Instructions
- Warm 2 tbs olive oil in a large Dutch Oven or stock pot over medium heat and add in onions. Stir and cook till translucent. Add in onions and cook till just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in parsnips, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and chipotle, cooking over medium heat until potatoes and parsnips start to soften just the tiniest bit, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in kidney beans, vegetable broth, tomato sauce and whole peeled tomatoes in their juice, making sure to crush up whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer on medium low for about 30-45 minutes, until potatoes and parsnips are fork tender.
- Stir in veggie beef crumbles and cook till warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Optional garnishes include sour cream, cheese, avocado and cilantro or green onions.
Emily Bruno says
So hearty and filling- thanks for the tips about freezing! Can’t wait to have it again.
Debi says
I am not a recipe reviewer and I had a hard time believing that this chili got all 5 stars, but I made it last night and after the reviews from my family, I will also have to give it 5 stars. I have never used “fake meat” and was skeptical, but it was really good. It tasted just like ground beef in the chili. My family didn’t even know until they had two bowls and then I told them what the secret ingredient was. Only changes I made… I added about a tsp of smoked paprika. Next time I will do only 1 parsnip instead of two. I will add this recipe to my chili recipes. Thanks Andrea!
Andrea Howe says
Thank you so much for the review and comment, Debi! I am so glad to hear your family loved it and that you found another staple to add to you rotation 🙂
Lauren Grant says
I love how hearty this vegetarian chili is! I don’t miss the meat at all! So good!
Tawnie Kroll says
So flavorful and such a yummy, comforting chili that you feel good eating. Thank you!
Susie says
I love parsnips and it is so hard to find good recipes that use them. Love this chili!!! Great recipe. It will be on rotation through the winter.
Lauren Nagel says
A perfect meal, so comforting too!
Anna Kate Goshko says
Yum! My husband would never know this is vegetarian!