Vegan Sweet Potato Chili with TVP

I hope you’re hungry tonight because my vegan sweet potato chili with TVP is here to satisfy some big appetites! This delicious and healthy vegan chili gets protein from TVP (textured vegetable protein) and beans, and is loaded with heartwarming flavors of sweet potatoes and chipotle chili peppers.

Since we are about to embark on a cross-country move from Alabama to Washington state, lately I’ve been trying to cook through all of the dried and canned food in my pantry. Okay, maybe not all – it’s unlikely that I’ll go through about 10 pounds of dried beans of all sorts, but at least I’m trying!

With all these beans in my pantry, it seems only logical to make a big pot of high-protein vegan chili loaded with the goodness of plant protein and fiber. To boost the protein content, I decided to add some textured vegetable protein, or TVP as it’s known in the cooking world.

I bought a bag of TVP to make vegan sausages from Lindsay Nixon’s Happy Herbivore Cookbook. The sausages were delicious, but I haven’t made them again since then, and the bag of TVP got pushed all the way to the back of my pantry. Once I rediscovered it the other day, I set myself for a challenge to use it.

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Enter this vegan chili recipe I came up with: I was able to use up at least a half of the TVP I had, plus a cup of dried pinto beans from my vast dried bean collection. (Here’s how I cook dried beans from scratch.)

The internet is abundant with various TVP chili recipes, so I was happy to use a few helpful tips on using it in cooking.

Basically, the dried TVP crumbles come back to life after you soak them in boiling water for a few minutes, and once you add them to the pot of chili, they absorb all of the flavors of the dish.

My biggest surprise was to find out that cooked TVP has the exact same texture as ground meat, which worked great in this chili!

If you can’t find TVP, feel free to use crumbled vegan sausage (Field Roast Italian or Chipotle) or vegan chorizo (Upton, Abbot’s, Trader Joe’s) instead.

Another tip I found helpful: Matt from No Meat Athlete blog suggested blending some of the cooked beans (pinto in my case) with tomatoes and hot peppers in a food processor, and adding that mixture to the rest of the ingredients in the pot. This adds up to the hearty texture of your chili.

Following his advice, I blended 1/2 cup of beans with canned green chilies, tomato paste and some vegetable broth. The resulting chili was thick and velvety-smooth, so I highly recommend this tip!

I can see that some of us might question if TVP fits into the category of healthy whole-food ingredients. I’ll admit that it is a processed food since it doesn’t grow on a tree branch out in the wild, but if we only use it once in a while, there’s no need to be afraid.

There are lots of other plant-based ingredients that we can add to a pot of chili (for example, I used barley in my Three Bean Barley Chili recipe), so if you’re not a fan of the TVP idea, you’re welcome to skip it altogether.

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Yield: 6 servings

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili with TVP

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This delicious and heartwarming vegan chili with sweet potatoes and TVP makes a great dinner, especially when it's cold outside! TVP gives it a meaty texture, and sweet potatoes add a mild hint of sweetness. Canned green chilies bring a nice kick of spice - adjust them to your liking.

(If you don't have TVP, use crumbled vegan sausage or vegan chorizo - see my brand recommendations in the Notes.)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried textured vegetable protein (TVP) *
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans**
• 1 4-oz can of canned green chilies, mild or medium
• OR
• 1-2 canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
• One 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 3 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• splash of red wine (optional)
• Bragg's liquid aminos or salt, to taste
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or veggie broth/water for oil-free)
• Fresh cilantro, avocado slices to garnish

Spices (adjust the amounts to taste):

• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 Tbsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak 1 cup TVP in 1 cup of boiling water, set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup pinto beans**, tomato sauce, canned chilies OR canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Blend until smooth.
3. Heat up a splash of avocado oil (or veggie broth/water for oil-free) in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, onion, celery, bell pepper and parsnip. Sauté 3-4 min, stirring and adding more broth to prevent sticking. Add minced garlic and the diced sweet potato. Cook 3-4 min longer, or until the potato pieces start looking partially cooked.
4. Stir in all of the spices, TVP* (squeeze it lightly before adding to the pot), beans**, the mixture from the food processor, and the remaining veggie broth. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 min, stirring a couple times.
5. Add a splash of wine (if using) and Bragg's liquid aminos or salt. Cook for 5 min more, taste and adjust the seasonings. Take off the cover and cook for 10 min more. Turn off the heat and set the pot aside for 10-15 min to let the flavors blend.
6. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, avocado slices, vegan sour cream, hot sauce, etc. to your liking.

Notes

* Crumbled vegan sausage (Field Roast Italian or Chipotle) or vegan chorizo (Upton, Abbot's, Trader Joe's) can be used instead of TVP.

** Alternatively, use 1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on my blog, I receive a very small commission that helps me run this blog, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

• 
  Anolon Advanced Hard-Anodized Nonstick Covered Stockpot with Locking Straining Lid, 6-Quart, Gray
• 
  Cuisinart DLC-2011CHBY Prep 11 Plus 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless
• 
  Bob's Red Mill Textured Vegetable Protein, 10 oz, 2 pk
• 
  Hatch Mild Diced Green Chilis 12pk/4oz
• 
  Embasa Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, 7 oz
• 
  Bragg Liquid Aminos, 32 oz

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 13gSugar: 7gProtein: 9g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Alina Zavatsky is a vegan of 11+ years, a passionate blogger, a YouTuber, and a mom. She helps new vegans and their families navigate a vegan diet and lifestyle in a sustainable and enjoyable way. This fall, she will be releasing a new vegan meal planning app designed to make following a vegan diet a breeze for everyone.

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