Rain. We have seen enough rain this fall in Georgia to last us all winter. Once the rainy days turned cold, it got worse. I knew yesterday was supposed to be the last day of this dreary weather until next week, but there was such a chill in the air that I knew that soup was what was needed for dinner. So here’s a down-and-dirty, super-short, no-frills post with the recipe.

This was originally inspired by a recipe in the magazine that I receive from Kaiser Permamente as an insured member (they actually have some good recipes in there!), but of course I have made several changes to it, improvements, if you will. It’s hearty and full of vitamin A thanks to the sweet potato, while the black beans fill you up with fiber and deliver almost all of the magnesium and iron that you need for the day. Between the two, you get 100% of your daily intake of potassium in a serving of each (one cup of each).

The best part? Fast, cheap, and easy (my favorite things) and only one pot to clean. Sure, there’s a cutting board and a knife, but that’s really it. This honestly does only take about 30 minutes, start to finish. Yippee!

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Super fast, cheap, and easy meal for any day of the week, especially a cold one. Almost no mess and very little prep time, this one is sure to be a keeper! Even Sugar Bee likes it 🙂

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, butter, ghee, or other oil of your choice
• 2 cups of peeled and diced sweet potatoes; 1 large or 3 small
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp tumeric
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2.5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken stock if not vegetarian and you want a richer taste)
• 2 15-ounce cans of organic black beans, rinsed
• 2 14.5-ounce cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I use one can of regular dice and one can of petite dice)
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Shredded cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 4 minutes.
2. Add spices (garlic, paprika, cumin, tumeric, chili powder) and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the sweet potato is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes, and lime juice. Increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often.
5. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
6. Top with cilantro and cheese, if desired. Enjoy!