Updated: November 5th, 2020

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 servings

This recipe is packed full of nutritious food sources and spices; main ingredients highlighted below:

Lentils are one of the healthiest food sources for folate, also known as Vitamin B9. Folate is critical for healthy reproduction, supports a healthy nervous system and cardiovascular system, and is necessary for red blood cell production. Several epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse association between folate status and the risk of colorectal, lung, pancreatic, esophageal, stomach, cervical, ovarian, breast and other cancers (NIH, n.d.).

Sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients. The most abundant is Vitamin A, which is essential for vision and growth. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of fiber. Increasing fiber in the diet can help decrease the risk of developing certain cancers and type 2 diabetes, and can help reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

3 sweet potatoes, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis

2 cups steamed lentils

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat.
  2. Add onion and bell peppers. Stirring occasionally, cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add sweet potatoes and garlic. Stirring occasionally, cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. Stir in vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, lentils, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately.

Notes

I simmered the chili longer than 30 minutes, enough to soften the potatoes to my liking, and served with avocado slices and cilantro.

Above recipe adopted from DamnDelicious, available at http://damndelicious.net/2013/03/11/sweet-potato-and-lentil-chili-vegan/

Leftovers Option

I extended the recipe and turned it to a healthy snack. When I’d had my fill of chili, I transformed it into a dip by blending the chili in the food processor. I ate it with carrots, celery, and organic blue-corn chips.

 

 

References

National Institutes of Health (NIH) (n.d.). Folate. Retrieved January 7, 2016 from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

Sources

The Works Healthiest Foods (n.d.) Folate. Retrieved January 7, 2016 from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=63