This plant based chili is always a crowd pleaser! It’s simple, easy and filling. (It also cooks in one pot, for easy clean up). It uses quinoa as a base instead of rice, which keeps the chili hearty even though it doesn’t have any ground meat.
From a health standpoint, the high potassium and high fiber work together to provide a variety of benefits. This includes helping to lower blood pressure and keeping your gut microbiome healthy. For people with chronic kidney disease, high potassium can be a problem so there are some recommendations below at the end of the recipe which allows you to adjust it to your specific dietary needs.
Dr. Blake’s Top Tip: Serve in bread bowls with a buffet of toppings. That’ll let each person create their own individual flavor profile.
- Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cumin powder
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into half inch cubes
1 15oz can low sodium petite diced tomatoes
1/3 cup dried quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 15oz can low sodium dark red kidney beans
1 tbsp dried oregano
Toppings:
1 avocado
1 lime
1 small bunch of coriander
Instructions
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Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil, add the onion and cook until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed the garlic, cook for 1 minute and then add the chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes and cook for 3 minutes.
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Add the tomatoes, water and quinoa and salt, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Drain and rinse the red beans and add them to the chili along with the dried oregano. Mix and continue cooking, covered, for 10 minutes.
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Serve with a squeeze of lime juice, avocado cubes, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Potassium sources:
192 mg K+ 1 15oz can low sodium dark red kidney beans
181 mg K+ 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into half inch cubes
132 mg K+ 1 15oz can low sodium petite diced tomatoes
115 mg K+ 1 avocado
53 mg K+ 1/3 cup dried quinoa
194mg Na 1/2 tsp salt
