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.
Oh my goodness! This was SO good. I think I am starting to idol worship you! I made a couple of moderations, just because of what I had on hand – I omitted the chipotle peppers and added a can of chipotle pinto beans, I also omitted the coriander (simply because I didn’t have any on hand) – other than that, followed recipe exactly. Even if I wasn’t vegan (which i wasn’t until very recently), this is by far the best chili that I have ever made. Even my little kiddos devoured it (8 and 4 yrs old). We ate it with your cornbread. Perfect combination. Thanks again!!!!!
I used Ancho and it was DANK.
Made this over the weekend and crumbled some cornbread on top. Delicious! http://epifurious.tumblr.com/post/15961331690/chipotle-chili-with-brussel-sprouts-and-sweet-potatoes
I am excited to try this! Isa you rock. seriously. i can’t believe the retarded comments about Chipotle..but they were so ridiculous i at least laughed out loud. I hope i can find chipotle in brazil! (that’s where i am). thanks for making the vegan world rock..
I accidentally overcooked the veggies, but it still came out super delicious. Earthy and bright at the same time.
Fall needs to be here now so I have an excuse to make this. I love sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and chipotles. I also love chili. I take this as a good omen, though I never would have thought to combine them–this is why I look to you, Isa!
This is extraordinary! I quasi-caramelized the onions and spices. This gave a nice deep note for the rest of the dish–the balance of sweet, sulfurous, citric, earthy and peppery is exquisite. And it’s easy.
I made this for dinner last night and it was completely incredible. No exaggeration, this is SERIOUSLY good. The only reason I decided to make it is because my roommate gave me some Brussels sprouts and I wanted to use them. I’m so so so grateful she did, because I got to try this new recipe! I’ve said this before on your blog, but I don’t even like sweet potato and I thought they tasted amazing in this. It was a toss up between making this and making the brussels sprouts hash from Appetite for Reduction – I chose this because sweet potatoes were cheaper than organic potatoes.
I had to make a few small adjustments – I used only 1 TBSP of oil to lower the calories, kidney beans instead of pinto (they were cheaper), regular chilies instead of chipotles (you can’t get chipotles in adobo here in the UK unless you order them online… 🙁 You can get the dried ones a little more easily, but I already had fresh chilies on hand), coriander powder instead of seeds since I had no seeds, and I added a dash of liquid smoke to make up for the lack of chipotle smoke. I’m going to make this again this week with the other bag of sprouts, that’s how great it was, and I MUST try it with actual chipotles next time. I can’t wait to make it for my family.
I made this for dinner with some Baja style tempeh taco’s. this with a light homebrewed lager made for an amazing dining experience. Thanks
Do you think this is Crock-Pot-able? Would be lovely to come home from work to this.
Ooh, a Brussels sprouts recipe! This one also has many of my other favorite ingredients. I must give it a try. Meanwhile, thank you for your many recipes throughout the years. Glad I found you. I will add you to the RESOURCES section of my website, challengedchef.com,
i love this recipe. I’ve doubled it, and the leftovers freeze beautifully. I’ve also made this in a crock-pot, and I think I like the results even better than making it on the stove.
Isa,
We have your book and love it. Today we were out shopping without the help of your book, so we grabbed a few recipes from your website. I loved the inclusion of sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts–so good!
I have one question. We put in exactly 32 oz of crushed (organic) tomatoes, but we were somewhat displeased with the result: The chili came out with a lot of tomato sauce, somewhat resembling marinara consistency. It either needed less sauce or rice or something to soak it up. I was thinking of using less crushed tomatoes next time, but I would like to come up with another way to include tomatoes without it coming out like a pasta sauce. I like my chili to be hearty with a bit of chunky sauce to hold it together. Do you have any suggestions? (For the record, mine didn’t come out looking exactly like the picture-it had much more sauce!)
Thanks for your help!
I live in a cohousing community where we have group meals twice a week and everyone takes turns cooking. My husband and I are the only vegans. I made this last night and everyone loved it. They consistently love your recipes, and ask for the links. Thanks for being a crowd-pleaser!
So, seven and change years later, what is This decade’s sundried tomato/chipotle?
Made this last night and it is seriously delicious. My husband hates brussels, but he tried some and didn’t even know they were in it (I cooked mine down for some time). Delicious the next day too. Appetite for Reduction is still one of my favourite and most used cookbooks. Thank you Isa