Slow Cooker Vegan Sweet Potato and Carrot Chili

 

It's that time of year to bring out the crockpot and start cooking something delicious. Especially when temperatures go from a balmy 69 degrees to a frigid 18. Talk about a wakeup call!

So when I heard about the Bush's beans chili cook off, it gave me another reason to dust off my crockpot and make a big batch of chili to help warm me up.

Now I've only been sharing recipes with y'all for two years and I've already shared four different chili recipes. I've made Vegan Chile (my most recent), Crockpot White Chicken Chili (twice, recently updated), Crockpot Pumpkin Turkey Chili, and Crockpot Chicken Chile.

I am by no means a chili connoisseur, but I do love my chili. I think I inherited my love for chili from my daddy. And just like my daddy, I love a hearty chili, not one where it's all soupy with just a few beans.

Look how hearty that chili is that my spoon stands up on its own!

Nope, I want my spoon to literally stand up straight in my chili. And your spoon will stand up straight in this Slow Cooker Vegan Sweet Potato & Carrot Chili.

This chili is hearty with all the flavorings of a meat chili, but without the meat. It's full of Bush's black beans and pinto beans, chunks of sweet potato and carrots, barley, and quinoa, to name just a few of the ingredients.

Just like my vegan chile, I added cocoa powder to this one too. Because I love the rich flavor it brings to chili as it mixes with the other spices.

And if it’s not spicy enough for you, you can also add a little more heat to this chili by adding more chile powder or jalapeños.

My daddy is probably rolling over in his grave because I made a vegan chili (gasp!). He was a big meat lover.

But I'm sure if he was still with us, he would admit this chili is worth another bowl!

Slow Cooker Vegan Sweet Potato and Carrot Chili

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A hearty and flavorful vegan chili with sweet potatoes, carrots, and Bush's beans.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 6 to 8 hours
Total time: 8 hours and 20 minutes
Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Ingredients

• 2-32 ounces vegetable broth
• 2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut into cubes
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 5 carrots, washed, peeled, and cut
• 3-15.5 ounce cans Bush's Black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-15.5 ounce can Bush's pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 green Bell pepper, washed, seeded, and diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup barley, uncooked
• 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper powder
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 Tablespoon chile powder
• 2 teaspoons homemade taco seasoning
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
• 1-7 ounce can diced green chilies
• pinch sea salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare crockpot (7 quarts or larger) by lightly wiping inside with olive oil. I find this helps prevent food from sticking to the inside, which makes for easier cleanup.
2. Add all ingredients into crockpot, stir together, cover.
3. Cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours. If you're home when making, stir ingredients every few hours.
4. Serve warm with cornbread or tortilla chips.
5. Top with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, diced onions, jalapenos, avocado, or tomatoes.

*Helpful Hints*

 

- This recipe is for a 7 quart or larger crockpot. If you want to make a small batch, just half the ingredients.

 

 

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Vegan Chile

I know, I know, it's about time I made a vegetarian chile. After all, I've made Chicken Chile, Pumpkin Turkey Chile, White Chicken Chile, so it was only a matter of time that I make a vegan chile.

Especially since I rarely eat meat anymore. I still eat chicken and sometimes I have seafood but I don't eat beef or pork. I've been beef and pork clean for three years now.

It's a choice for me not to eat beef or pork. I don't try to push my ways on anybody, which is why I always let you know when beef can also be substituted instead of chicken in recipes.

Yes, there are times I've thrown around the idea of going completely vegan, entirely meat-free, but then I remember how much I love chicken wings and turkey. How can I give up wings during football season or Thanksgiving turkey?

Instead I only eat meat about once a month now. My last time was when I made my Engagement Chicken.

Which brings me back to this vegan chile. It's so hearty and full of flavor, you'll never miss the meat. This chile is so thick, you can stand a spoon up in it!

I use four different types of beans: black, red kidney, pinto, and small red beans, along with quinoa and barley to give this chile its heartiness.

For flavor, I used a different seasoning I've never used in chile before, cocoa powder. Yes, cocoa, as in chocolate!

Now don't be shaking your head until you try it because cocoa in chile really is a game changer. The cocoa powder gives this chile its deep, rich flavor.

But don't take my word for it, you have to try it yourself and let me know what you think. I'm pretty sure cocoa powder in chile is going to become a must for you from now on. I know it will be for me!

Vegan Chile

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A vegan chile so hearty & full of flavor you'll never miss the meat.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: max 10 hours
Total time: 10 hours and 15 minutes (maximum time)
Yield: A whole lotta chile
Ingredients

• 1 cup dried red kidney beans
• 1 cup dried black beans
• 1 cup dried pinto beans
• 1 cup dried small red beans
• 2-32 ounces vegetable broth
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1/2 cup barley, uncooked
• 1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1-7 ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, diced
• 2 teaspoons homemade taco seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2 whole bay leaves
• Sea salt & ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare dried beans the night before by placing them into a large bowl, adding water approximately 1 to 2 inches above beans. If you have it available, add in 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Cover and let soak overnight. Doing this helps to remove some of the sugars in dried beans that cause flatulence.
2. After soaking beans overnight, pour beans into a colander and rinse well with water. Sifting and removing any rocks.
3. Prepare crockpot by lightly wiping sides and bottom with olive oil. I find this helps prevent food sticking to inside of crockpot, making for easier cleanup.
4. Pour beans into a large crockpot.
5. Add remaining ingredients, stir together and place cover on top. Place on High setting for 6 to 7 hours or Low setting for 8 to 10 hours. If you're home while cooking chile, stir every few hours.
6. Beans will be soft when chile is ready.
7. Serve warm with cornbread or tortilla chips.
8. Top with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, diced onions or jalapenos, diced tomatoes or avocados.

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: Savoring Saturdays