Chipotle Chili With Sweet Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts
The chipotle has got to be this decade’s sundried tomato. Barely glance a menu and you’ll catch it weaseling its way into soups, sauces, omelets, even desserts. But the chipotle’s pervasive stature is not unearned. Its smoky heat adds so much flavor to anything it touches you’d be hard pressed not to reach for it when you want to whip up something fast and tasty.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or in Sheepshead Bay), you’ll know that a chipotle is a smoked jalapeno. You can find them dried (just like their tomato predecessors), but more commonly they come stewed in a can with adobo, a vinegary tomato based sauce. I usually remove the seeds before using, that way you can use more chipotles without adding too much heat.
This is another one of those clean out my cupboard and fridge recipes. I had plenty of sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts left over from my holiday festivities and this was a flavorful and filling way to use them up. And no matter how many recipes I write I know deep in my heart that people just want to cook a handful of dishes. Pesto, “meatballs”, mashed potatoes, but above all, chili.
Chipotle Chili With Sweet Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts
Serves 6 to 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coriander seed, crushed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 chipotles, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (2 average sized), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
12 oz brussels sprouts, quartered lengthwise (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons new mexico chili powder (or other mild chili powder)
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 16 oz can pintos, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Fresh lime juice to taste (about one lime was good for me)
In a soup pot over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, coriander seeds, and oregano and saute a minute more. Add remaining ingredients (except for lime juice). Mix well. The sweet potatoes and brussel sprout will be peaking out of the tomato sauce, but don’t worry, they will cook down.
Cover pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about half an hour, stirring often, until sweet potatoes and fork tender but not mushy. Squeeze in lime juice to taste and adjust any other seasonings. Let sit uncovered for at least 10 minutes before eating.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I never thought about taking the seeds out of a chipotle! Thanks for the tip, Isa.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
This sound really good. I have everything except the chipotles…
November 29th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
oops, anonymous was me.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
This looks and I’m sure tastes terrific, but I have to throw out there that there is at least one person (me) who is in love with your recipes because you go beyond the typical chili/pesto etc cliches! So by all means keep at your innovations.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
This looks so hearty and satisfying, and generally warm and fuzzy like good old-fashioned comfort food
I always have such a hard time finding chipotle - I must try harder, clearly, as this just looks delicious.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Oh wow, this is my kinda soup! Just right for a cold, windy say when I can never seem to get warm no matter how many layers I have on. I’m getting warmed up just thinking about it.
November 29th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
This sounds awesome. I will definitely be trying it!
November 30th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Yahoo. I get to eat something I like! this is sunday night supper for watching brothers and sisters.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:52 am
sheepshead bay is a great neighborhood you douche bag
November 30th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Yeah, GMoney, it truly is. It produces wonderful people like you and me and Andrew Dice Clay.
November 30th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Hey Isa,
I’m usually a latecomer to well-loved hits like you, your show and your cookbooks. I’m really enjoying your website and this recipe looks great. I’ll definitely be trying it.
Not to be dim or anything, but you don’t say when the lime juice should be added. Could you clarify that for us?
Many, many thanks for sharing your creative cooking flair with us!
November 30th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I fixed it Jmitz, thanks.
November 30th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
This was a fully yum recipe for dinner last night, thanks! I confess, I didn’t trouble to seed the chipotles?tinned peppers in adobo sauce are awfully messy to manhandle?but it turned out just fine by me. I’d never have thought to make a Brussels-sprout-sweet potato chili, but that’s why we buy your books
November 30th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
just made this today. really really awesome. at first i was cursing myself for putting in the coriander seeds, it was really overpowering when i first tasted it. but of course it ended up totally mellowing out and it’s perfect.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:55 am
thanks for all the recipes posted lately!
December 1st, 2008 at 3:45 am
Awesome, Isa! Thanks a million, I love chili!
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:07 pm
yay, no cilantro!
December 5th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
chipotle sucks, its main stream taco bell abomination
December 5th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Wow, you youngins just get stupider and stupider.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Wow, yeah, Taco Bell should not be commended for apparently artificially selecting the originally domesticated chile pepper to bring us the shittyshiity jalapeno. And THEN Taco Bell made it worse by smoking the damn thing, all while putting it in a tangy sauce!
How DARE they!
December 5th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
i had no clue taco bell was around in the 12th century.
the things you learn on foodblogs.
December 5th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
yeah and waz up wit putting brussel sproots in a bowl of chilli! LOL!
December 7th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Sorry Isa. I love your cooking and all, but I’ll take a lukewarm bean burrito without the cheese any day over one of these newfangled “chipotle” things…
December 8th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
What’s with all the chipotle hate? I enjoy the smoky flavor, but don’t tend to use it that often in my cooking. I’ll look forward to trying this recipe on a grey chilly day.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:29 am
OH…YUUUUUUUMMMM! Making this sooon! Thanks!
December 12th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I love the smokiness of chipotle. And you know, I love sun-dried tomatoes from the 90s, and balsamic from the 80s. I just can’t let go.
December 13th, 2008 at 3:26 am
I’m with you, kimmykokonut. I don’t get the chipoltle hate. Anyway, I’ll be trying this recipe tomorrow. Yay.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:56 am
Tried this tonight, I didn’t care for the coriander or oregano in it, but with some tweaking I can make this good for my taste. Thanks
December 16th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Did I mention this is so so so good? I’m making it for family on Sunday!
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
This was so good, I need to make another batch!
December 26th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Totally making this tomorrow to bring to family’s Christmas gathering!
January 1st, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Isa,
I love you. My mother loves you. My sister loves you too. We have all of your books, and we look at them almost every day for inspiration.
*rant over*
I made this tonight for my family and even my senile grandmother downed it, which is sayin’ something. My meat-loving dad enjoyed it as well.
I’m going to make it for all of my friends when i get back to school.
Yay!
January 1st, 2009 at 7:50 pm
It looks like the picture!
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
This was really good. I didn’t have all of the spices, and left out the chipotle. (See, it can be made without it for all you chipotle haters) But I think it came pretty close, and I liked it the way it came out.
January 11th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
[…] Andre menneskers oppskrifter By oppskrifter Chipotle Chili With Sweet Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts […]
February 19th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
This looks so delicious but I can’t live without my cilantro - I’ll throw some in mine!
March 3rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I think that Jul was not referring to the chipotle pepper, but to the Chipotle restaurant chain (http://www.chipotle.com/), for which he or she should also be ridiculed.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
[…] Chipotle chili. For those I-wanna-move-to-the-Southwest-and-start-an-alternative-school-in-the-middle-of-the-desert […]