Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili

The major flavor in this dish comes from chile powder (which is made from nothing but dried, powdered red chilies). Chile (with an “e”) powder differs from chili powder, which is a mix of chile powder, plus cumin, coriander, and other flavorings. See Notes below for a discussion of chile powder possibilities for this recipe. Prep time for this dish depends on how fast you work—it’s probably 20 to 30 minutes on average. Cooking time is a bit more than an hour (see Notes for one strategy to reduce it). This recipe yields a lot—at least 4 quarts. So it will feed a crowd. Leftovers freeze well if stored in airtight containers. And it’s quite easy to cut this recipe in half by reducing ingredient quantities appropriately.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Quinoa

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 299kcal

Author Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

2 large onions 2 cups—maybe a bit more—when diced
3 - 5 garlic cloves to taste
2 - 3 jalapeño peppers to taste
2 tablespoons neutral oil
½ teaspoon Kosher salt if using regular table salt, us about half this amount; see Notes
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 sweet potatoes 2 - 3 pounds
3 15- ounce cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed (or substitute other beans of your choice)
2 - 3 tablespoons mild or medium chile powder or a mix of the two (I like Hatch chile powders; see Notes for discussion and alternatives)
1 - 2 teaspoons dried chipotle chile powder optional; see Notes
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 28- ounce can diced tomatoes
1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup uncooked quinoa
water at least one 28-ounce canfull
jalapeño pepper slices for garnish optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Peel and dice the onions. Peel the garlic cloves and dice them finely.
Wash the jalapeño peppers and cut them lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the ribs and seeds (be careful, the oil on these is hot; keep fingers away from your eyes). Chop the peppers into very small dice (or use a mini food processor). Place the peppers in a bowl until you’re ready to use them, then wash your hands with soap and water to remove the hot jalapeño oil from your skin. You may want to reserve a slice or two of the pepper for garnish.
Place a Dutch oven or a large cooking pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. When heated, add the oil.
When the oil is hot (it will shimmer; this takes just a few seconds), add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-low and sauté the mixture until the onions are soft and translucent (about 8 minutes).
Meanwhile, wash and peel the sweet potatoes; then dice them into cubes of about ½ inch.
Drain the beans in a strainer and rinse them off.
When the onion is soft (5 - 7 minutes), add the sweet potato cubes to the mixture and stir to combine.
Add the chile powder(s), cumin, and coriander. Stir to coat the sweet potatoes, then sauté for about a minute. (Note: If you’re concerned that the chili may be too hot for your taste, add half the recommended amount of chile powder in this step, then see Step 10).
Add the tomatoes, beans, and quinoa. Using one of the empty tomato cans, add a 28-ounce can of water (increase if you prefer a more liquid chili). Bring the chili to a simmer, then reduce the heat so the mixture just continues to simmer.
After 10 minutes, taste the chili. If you added only half the recommended amount of chile powder in Step 8, add more chile powder at this point if the chili isn’t spicy enough for your taste.
Simmer the chili for a total of 1 hour (or longer if you wish; this recipe also holds well on low heat for an hour or two). By the end of an hour, the quinoa and sweet potatoes should be tender—and the chili should be tasty. Adjust the seasoning and serve, adding a garnish if desired (see Notes).

Notes

This recipe yields a lot—at least 4 quarts. So it will feed a crowd. Leftovers freeze well if stored in airtight containers. And it’s quite easy to cut this recipe in half by reducing ingredient quantities appropriately.

Nutrition