I’ve mentioned before that our family has a love-affair with soups (and if you’re looking for some other great recipes, check out our list of 20 Autumn Soup Recipes!)
And as much as I like to tell myself that I’m an exotic, creative chef that pushes the edges of flavorful ingenuity in the kitchen, quite frankly, we resort to basic chicken and veggie based soups, or our beef, barley and lentil soup more often than not. We have recently become a grain-free family, and although we still eat plenty of legumes, it’s a stretch to find new creative flavors when our choices are limited.
Finally, I’m breaking the traditional mold a bit and branching out into spices other than salt and pepper!
This black bean and sweet potato chili is flavorful with a touch of sweet and has the warming hints of cumin, chili powder and cinnamon. Once topped with sour cream, cheese and avocados, it’s almost like a taco sans the shell!
enjoy!
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced or diced finely
2 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
2-3 Tb. chili powder (I start with 2 and add more as necessary and season to taste)
4 c. beef broth (you can also use chicken broth, but we prefer the taste of the beef broth. Also, you can start with 2-3 cups of broth if you prefer a thicker soup)
1/3 c. brewed coffee (decaf if you’re serving this to the kids…for obvious reasons. I am not responsible for what happens if you use regular coffee…)
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 c. cooked black beans (or two 15 oz. cans of beans if you’re in a pinch)
1 large can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes with the juice (can sub in equal amounts of salsa as well)
3 Tb. honey or maple syrup
salt + pepper to taste
top with:
sour cream
shredded cheese
diced avocados
fresh diced tomatoes
To start out, combine the onions, bell pepper, garlic and butter in a skillet and saute lightly until the onions and peppers are translucent and soft. reduce the heat to low and add in the cumin, cinnamon and chili powder. Continue to saute on the lowest heat setting for 8-10 minutes, watching to make sure that the garlic doesn’t burn. If the skillet gets too dry, add in another tablespoon of butter. Don’t skip this step, as it releases the natural smokey flavors of the spices and really enhances their strength.
After sauteing, transport the onion mixture into a soup pot and add in the remaining ingredients, except for the honey. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft. Remove from the heat add in the honey and salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into dishes and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, avocados and fresh diced tomatoes! Pair this with Gretchen’s no-knead soaked whole grain bread and you’re in soup-heaven.
What are some of your favorite soup recipes? link ’em up in the comments!!
This post is linked to Traditional Tuesdays, Titus 2 Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Adorned from Above Blog Hop, Wheat Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Fight Back Friday, Fresh Bites Friday
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