Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, & Black Bean Chili

By laurenzembron

A hearty vegetarian autumnal chili featuring pumpkin beer!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow or white onion
• 2 serrano chile peppers, minced (you can seed both, one, or neither depending on your heat preference)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp chili powder (ancho or chipotle would work nicely, as well)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1 cup unseasoned tomato sauce/puree
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (I used homemade, but canned would be fine)
• 1 cup pumpkin beer (use whatever brew you’d like; for me, it doesn’t get any better than Southern Tier Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale)
• 1 cup water
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the serrano and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute.
Add in the tomato sauce, pumpkin puree, beer, and water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, add the beans and sweet potato, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, the chili has thickened, and the flavors have melded, at least 1 hour.