Soup is one of those things where no exact amounts is generally how my recipes end up--I struggle to put them into amounts
So here's a recipe I've been playing around with, since roachboy turned me on to the deliciousness that is black bean sweet potato chili. Since it's sweet potato season, this is a great time to make a big batch of this and freeze it; it freezes well if you reserve some liquid to add to it after. The tomato juice from the drained tomatoes works well. Mostly, you want to make sure that the food is covered by liquid to keep it from getting freezer burn
Of course, this can also be accomplished by pouring a layer of beer over the chili when it's ready to freeze. This recipe makes a LOT of chili; sometimes I make less by cutting it in half, and still have 2 servings left over to freeze.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (the original recipe called for red onion; I like any onion here)
1 cup carrot, chopped into coins
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 28-can diced tomatoes
4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped (if you don't have a fresh jalapeno, substituting dried cayenne for the heat seems to work well)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried
1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, red pepper, garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, continuing to stir occasionally.
3. Add the tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Serve over brown rice, if desired, with lime wedges and cilantro, or with corn bread, biscuits, or taco chips alongside.
Serves 6.
adapted from:
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili | Care2 Healthy & Green Living
The recipe didn't originally call for carrot, but I added it one time I made it, and loved it. I generally like carrot in my black bean chilis. I think it adds a note of sweetness. Also, I discovered the last time I made this that doubling the amount of carrot in lieu of adding red pepper works well, in case you don't have a red pepper on hand. As roachboy told me, this is a very, very flexible chili. However, it is required that it always have chocolate and beer. I like using a porter.