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You are here: Home / Healthy Recipes / Vegetarian Lentil, Black Bean, & Sweet Potato Chili

March 9, 2015 64 Comments

Vegetarian Lentil, Black Bean, & Sweet Potato Chili

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This sweet potato, black bean, and lentil chili is healthy and hearty– you'll never miss the meat!

This hearty, filling sweet potato chili has lots of protein from lentils and black beans! It’s the perfect cozy meal to curl up with on a cold or rainy day.
This sweet potato, black bean, and lentil vegetarian chili is healthy and hearty– you'll never miss the meat! Sweet potato chili is healthy comfort food at its finest.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my years of cooking, baking, and well, eating, it’s that you can’t always judge a dish by its cover. Sometimes, the not-so-pretty foods are the most delicious. Case in point: this lentil, black bean, and sweet potato chili.

Over the weekend, veggie chili sounded like the perfect thing for the cool weather we’ve been having in North Carolina. I spotted a bag of dried green lentils hanging out in the pantry, which I love using because a) they’re really affordable and b) they have a lot of protein.

I also decided to incorporate sweet potatoes, too, because when can you go wrong with sweet potatoes? And black beans were a natural addition since black beans + sweet potatoes are a match made in heaven.This sweet potato, black bean, and lentil vegetarian chili is healthy and hearty– you'll never miss the meat!

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I love experimenting with meatless recipes, and the resulting chili was the best thing I’ve eaten in weeks! It was so hearty and filling. Even my meat-loving dad had a bowl of this sweet potato chili the next day for lunch and declared it to be a success.

And check it out: for a huge bowl of vegetarian goodness, you’re looking at 360 calories, 22 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fiber. That’s pretty awesome! Not to mention, lentils and black beans are both packed with iron and sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin A.

I already can’t wait to make this lentil sweet potato chili again! Sweet potato chili is healthy comfort food at its finest.

You'll never miss the meat in this lentil vegetarian chili!

If you try this lentil, black bean, and sweet potato chili, let me know in a comment or take a picture and tag me @livbane on Instagram– I’d love to see!

This sweet potato, black bean, and lentil chili is healthy and hearty– you'll never miss the meat! Healthy comfort food at its finest.
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4.25 from 4 votes

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, & Lentil Vegetarian Chili

This hearty, filling sweet potato chili has lots of protein from lentils and black beans! It's the perfect cozy meal to curl up with on a cold or rainy day.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 360kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 30 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 2 cups dried green lentils
  • 4 carrots, diced
  • 2 Tbsp. chili powder (start with 1 1/2 Tbsp. if you're sensitive to heat)
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 3/4 tsp. cumin
  • 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more or less to your desired level of spiciness)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 cups (2 cans) black beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, chopped onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the vegetable broth, water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, and carrots. Then, add the spices (chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt). Turn the heat up to high, bringing the broth to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, add cubed sweet potato and black beans and simmer on medium-low heat for 40-50 more minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add extra water or broth to thin, if needed, toward the end.
  • Top chili with sour cream, avocado slices, and/or freshly grated cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 4g | Fiber: 12g

Other favorite chili and stew recipes you may love:
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew
Hearty Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili

 

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Comments

  1. Dannii @ hungry healthy happy says

    March 9, 2015 at 3:51 am

    I actually prefer vegetarian chillis. I think they are much heartier and therefore more filling.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:56 am

      I agree, I definitely prefer vegetarian chills! They’re still hearty and filling, but not too heavy 🙂

      Reply
  2. Courtney @ Running For Cupcakes says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:03 am

    This sounds sooo good! And I am a vegetarian so even better 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:55 am

      Thanks, Courtney! If I could always have access to meals like this, I think I’d become a vegetarian, too 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tina Muir says

    March 9, 2015 at 5:45 am

    Hi Liv! Don’t think we have ever met, but it is lovely to meet you, and I am SO glad you are joining us today 🙂 This sounds lovely, I love the sweet potato and black bean combo! They go so well together. I look forward to supporting you in your future journey. 🙂 Have a wonderful day, and I hope you join us again next (and every!) week!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:54 am

      Thanks, Tina! Looking forward to linking up again in the future 🙂 Hope you have a great day!

      Reply
  4. Melissa says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:06 am

    This looks great! I tried to make something like this last week in the crockpot actually and it came out so soupy – I’m going to have to try something like this next. While a sweet potato black bean soup is good all I wanted was chili!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 10:11 am

      When you want a thick, hearty chili, I agree– a thin soup just doesn’t compare!

      Reply
    • Ingrid says

      October 11, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      I was just about to ask Liv if she thinks this recipe would work in a crockpot, and what adjustments one would need to make. So now I’m asking both of you!

      Reply
      • Liv says

        October 14, 2017 at 12:04 pm

        Hi Ingrid, I think this recipe would work great in a crockpot! For ease of cooking, I’d toss all of the ingredients in the crockpot except for the black beans and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours (depending on your crockpot’s settings. I’d add the black beans just before serving so they don’t turn into mush, and I’d chop the sweet potatoes into large pieces if adding at the very beginning with the lentils so they don’t get overcooked. For your first time experimenting with making it in the crockpot, I’d definitely check it a little before you expect it to be ready and then note the settings it takes with your specific crockpot. Hope that helps!!

        Reply
  5. Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:34 am

    This sounds great! I never met a chili I didn’t like, either meatless or extra beefy. 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:13 pm

      Seriously! I think chili is such an underrated food. Maybe because it’s not very pretty? 😉

      Reply
  6. Elsie @ Sharing Healthiness says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:42 am

    This looks SO.GOOD! Sweet potatoes and lentils are two of my favorite foods (sorry black beans 🙂 ) so this is a winner for me!
    I don’t count calories either but I like having nutritional info to estimate how filling it is by how much protein or fat it has. It helps me plan out my other meals and workouts.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 10:13 am

      I agree– knowing that a recipe is high in protein makes it seem more filling and definitely makes me want to make it more! And lentils and sweet potatoes are two of my favorites, too 🙂

      Reply
      • Chelsea Ann says

        March 2, 2020 at 1:01 am

        4 stars
        It says this makes 12 servings — is 1 serving one cup? I just dished out roughly 6 tupperwares filled with 2 cups each of this. Purely curious — this is DELICIOUS and I’ve made it several times already for meal planning!

        Reply
  7. Stephanie @ Back for Seconds says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:57 am

    I don’t eat ground meat so this chili is perfect for me! It sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:13 pm

      Thanks, Stephanie! I do eat ground meat on occasion, but sometimes a meatless meal hits the spot 🙂

      Reply
  8. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:13 am

    Yum! Looks so hearty and PERFECT!

    Reply
  9. Judy@ImBoredLetsGo says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:22 am

    I think this not only looks delicious but the recipe sounds wonderful too! I love black bean/sweet potato combo!

    Reply
  10. Michelle @Healthiersteps says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:34 am

    This looks so hearty and delicious. Love lentils anytime!

    Reply
  11. Hayley@healthyregardshayley says

    March 9, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    yum! This looks great. At one of my favorite vegan restaurants, Gracias Madre in LA they make sweet potato flautas that are amazing!!!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:12 pm

      Is it terrible that I just had to Google what flatuas are? Haha! But I found recipes and pictures of sweet potato flatuas and they look so good!

      Reply
  12. Cassie @ Almost Getting it Together says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:10 am

    I think the best vegetarian meal I’ve ever had probably would have to be at this random monetary in Hong Kong where monks made all the food. I seriously still dream about it to this day, 6 years later!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      Haha that’s too funny! Maybe you can try to recreate the meal from the monastery?

      Reply
  13. Sarah says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:22 am

    Perfect meatless Monday meal when it is cold out! Vegetarian chili is one of my favorite comfort foods.
    My favorite vegetarian dish, that would be a hard one, as a former vegan, gone vegetarian, now more “flexitarian” I eat mostly vegetarian/vegan still and I have so many favorites!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      I bet you have do lots of favorites! I’ll have to check out your blog since I consider myself to be a “flexitarian,” as well 🙂

      Reply
  14. Deborah @Confessions of a mother runner says

    March 9, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    that looks great I love sweet potato and black beans together. Thanks for linking up w us today for Meatless Monday!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Thanks for hosting, Deborah!

      Reply
  15. Kate @ Baking in Yoga Pants says

    March 9, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    I’m definitely saving this recipe! I’m a vegetarian and am always looking for new and awesome dinner ideas – thanks for this 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      You’ll have to let me know if you try it, Kate! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Brittany (Healthy Slice of Life) says

    March 9, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    Oh this looks so delicious!! I’d love to chow down on a bowl of this for lunch right now!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:18 pm

      Thanks, Brittany!! I’m wishing there was some left so I could have some for lunch again, too! 😉

      Reply
  17. Nicole @ Fitful Focus says

    March 9, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    This looks delicious!!

    Reply
  18. Ellie says

    March 9, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    Sweet potatoes are fantastic! MY favorite way to use them lately is as an ice pack for my foot (I have a frozen bag) and it works GREAT!
    I just have to say, I am vegan and have never eaten soy nuggets hahaha, there are so many great options you really don’t need dead animals to feel satisfied.
    Just my opinion. Chili looks great!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:10 pm

      Haha, I’ve never thought to use them as an ice pack, but that sounds like it’d work perfectly! And thank goodness there are so many other vegan protein options so that you don’t have to resort to any faux meat options if you don’t want to 🙂

      Reply
  19. Alyssa @ Simply Quinoa says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    I love that you’ve added lentils to this chili – I think they’re an underused ingredient in dishes like this. And the combo of those any the black beans? I’m in plant-based protein heaven 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:07 pm

      I think you’re right– lentils are so underrated!

      Reply
  20. Emily says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    Agreed about the not so pretty dishes being the ones that actually do often taste good!

    Reply
  21. Jessica @ kiwiyogirunner says

    March 10, 2015 at 6:04 am

    I LOVE lentils and vegetarian food and this looks incredible! I personally don’t love reading nutritional info at cafes etc because it inevitably means I end up getting something “healthier” but not what I really want, BUT I have noooo problem on websites and stuff cos I just don’t read it 🙂 plus your recipes are so gorgeous I don’t think seeing nutritional info is going to change my mind on that haha

    Reply
  22. shelby says

    April 6, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    2 tbsp of chili powder made this chili way too spicy for me. (And i typically love spicy food)

    Reply
    • Liv says

      April 6, 2015 at 8:25 pm

      I’m sorry to hear that it turned out too spicy for you, Shelby! I’ll add a note to the recipe to start with less chili powder and taste it before adding more. If you’d like, you can add extra water/broth, marinara sauce, or even a can of chopped or diced tomatoes to help cut the heat now (or top with some Greek yogurt/sour cream). Thanks for your feedback!

      Reply
  23. Pearl says

    May 4, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    It is better to be a day late than a dollar short! I really do not know what that means in its entirety. I mentioned it because of the late part:) You posted this recipe quite a while back and today I finally tried it (I tried the winter veggie recipe late too and loved it…and discovered an intense love of brussel sprouts and have never looked back!). Back to this recipe. I tried this for meatless Monday as my usual meatless meal is a Kashi pizza, which can get dull. This recipe was perfect! The lentils give it that “meat” texture and you don’t miss the ground meat at all. The sweet potato gives it a sweet kick that offsets the hot spices. The prep work was also pretty easy. Great work!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      May 4, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      So fun that we both fell in love with brussels sprouts from the same recipe! I can’t get enough of them now, either 🙂

      And I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the sweet potato chili for your Meatless Monday meal, Pearl. I’m craving it again now and I think I’ll make it this weekend when I get home from college (even though it’s getting hot outside!) because my sister has been asking me to make it again 🙂

      Reply
  24. Tami says

    October 10, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    Love this!! Converting this to a dog food recipe and linking to your recipe!

    Reply
  25. Dayna Tyhurst says

    February 4, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    This looks DELICIOUS! As a vegetarian I’m always looking to try new recipes so I can’t wait to try this. Think it could be made in a crockpot?

    Reply
    • Liv says

      February 4, 2017 at 3:23 pm

      Hi Dayna! I think this recipe could definitely be made in a crockpot. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure about exact cooking times, but I bet 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low would do the trick to cook the lentils and sweet potatoes.
      When I’m testing a new slow cooker recipe, I like doing it on a day that I’ll be around so I can start checking for doneness on the earlier side of the time range I’m estimating, if that makes sense!

      Reply
  26. Sean McAndrew says

    August 31, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Thanks for posting this recipe. I will be making it then dehydrating so I can carry it with me as I go hiking this winter. I am always happy to stumble across informative vegetarian sites like yours. I don’t consider myself a vegetarian but more conscious eater and more great vegetarian recipes out there for everyone to try is only better. I’m looking forward to incorporating the sweet potato in the chili because I have never made a version like this. 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      August 31, 2017 at 4:01 pm

      Sounds awesome! Hope you have some great hikes this winter, Sean!

      Reply
  27. Sharon says

    October 17, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    I love this recipe and I’ve sort of modeled it twice now when making my own chili. Thank you for posting this, but I just have to say (and I hope this does not come across as rude, I apologize if it does!) that in your fear of putting off meat-eaters, you may be putting off vegans and plant-based eaters by writing that you didn’t want to include the word vegan because you’d hate to scare people off. You are making an assumption of all things with the word “vegan” as scary. Vegan can also mean healthy (often, not always, of course). I was just a bit put off by that little section. And some of us love soy nuggets! Lol I know plenty of meat eaters who enjoy them. I hope you understand my point about you basically demeaning the word “vegan.” There are many of us and veganism is only growing. I am aware people think it has an image problem, but please don’t add to the painting of it in a bad light. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  28. Kirsten says

    October 23, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Sounds delish! Are the lentils soaked before-hand or are they canned lentils? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      October 23, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Kristen! I use dried lentils and don’t soak them beforehand. They actually cook pretty quickly!

      Reply
      • Kirsten Lee says

        November 1, 2017 at 8:17 am

        Thanks! Could you substitute a can or two of diced tomato (or something else) instead of Marinara Sauce (marinara isn’t very common where I’m from)?

        Reply
  29. Kirsten Lee says

    November 1, 2017 at 8:18 am

    Thanks! Could you substitute a can or two of diced tomato (or something else) instead of Marinara Sauce (marinara isn’t very common where I’m from)?

    Reply
    • Liv says

      November 1, 2017 at 11:12 am

      Hi Kirsten! You could absolutely use canned tomatoes! I’d recommend using crushed tomatoes rather than diced, as those are most similar to the texture of marinara sauce!

      Reply
  30. Elizabeth says

    March 21, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    This is in the crockpot right now! Can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 22, 2018 at 11:09 am

      Awesome, I hope you love it!!!

      Reply
  31. Danielle says

    March 31, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    4 stars
    Just so you know, your instructions at the top say “cook time 30 minutes” but then in the step-by-step instructions the cooking time actually adds up to 50-60 minutes (10 mins simmer with everything but the potatoes and beans + simmer 40-50 minutes with those added). I loved this recipe but I had some pretty unhappy toddlers when it wasn’t ready at our typical dinner time. Thanks for the great recipe! Just might want to update those times 😉

    Reply
  32. Dearh says

    April 29, 2018 at 4:43 pm

    4 stars
    Hi, i love this recipe.I only think it is too spicy, even though you give the option of less chili or peper.
    I think there is a mistake with table spoons of chili, it should say tea spoon.

    Reply
  33. Misty says

    November 10, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight and it hearty and delicious. I did use more liquid (4 cups of vegetable broth and 4 cups of water). The spices were just right for us! Thanks for a great cold night dinner idea! And we had a lot leftover to freeze in mason jars for when we need a quick meal in the future 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      November 21, 2018 at 3:48 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this chili! 🙂

      Reply
  34. Kelly says

    October 10, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    Hi! I’m in the process of making this and am stoked at its ease and mexi style ingredients…I’m adding some authentic (aka not texmex brand msg-filled) mexi spices for an extra kick! Just one note, in step 2 you say to add the remainder of the ingredients, except the next step is when the yams and beans are added…Small detail, but I’m glad I read ahead. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      October 10, 2020 at 4:08 pm

      Thanks for pointing that out, Kelly! I’ll adjust the wording to clarify the steps. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  35. B says

    November 10, 2021 at 6:44 pm

    I think the last direction should say “ add cubed sweet potato, black beans, and lentils”? Making this now hoping it’ll turn out as yummy as it sounds!

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Liv! I originally started blogging to share easy meals I made in my college dorm kitchen. Years later, as an attorney now, my goal is still to share delicious, approachable recipes with simple ingredients. You can most often find me running, eating ice cream, and making a mess in my kitchen. More...

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