Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili with homemade tortilla chips

It is officially fall, which means all I want is scarves, excessive amounts of hot chocolate, all things pumpkin flavored and scented, and nice warm soup!

I have never made a soup.  This recipe was my first, and I’ll admit I was kind of nervous about it! For a few minutes I was worried the soup would not thicken up, but fortunately everything went splendidly and tasted even better.  Then after it was all said and done I had scrumptious leftovers for the rest of the week and only one pot to clean! Huzzah!

Over the course of the next several months, I would expect more soups to be coming your way if I were you! It’s officially fall, and this recipe is officially a new favorite. Hope you like it!

Soup Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
(I used yellow, but any would work!)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
One 6 oz can tomato paste
• Two 15 oz (or one 29 oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 32 oz vegetable stock
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• Avocado slices, chopped cilantro for garnish  (optional)

Homemade Tortilla Chip Ingredients:

• 1 whole-wheat tortilla (makes 6 chips)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and garlic powder to taste

Soup Directions:

1. Preheat a large heavy soup pot with the oil over medium heat with
2. Add the onions to the hot pan and cook for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft and begin to brown.
3. Once the onions are soft and beginning to brown, add the garlic to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Measure out your spice ingredients- chili powder, cumin, and oregano- in a small bowl and mix.
5. Add the spices and tomato paste to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes- stirring constantly.
6. Add the beans, vegetable stock, sweet potato chunks, and salt and pepper to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add in the quinoa.
7. Once the quinoa has been added, cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until the quinoa and potatoes are soft and cooked through, and the chili has thickened.  Stir frequently.
8. Garnish with avocado slices, warm tortilla chips, and chopped cilantro (if desired).

Homemade Tortilla Chip Directions:

1. Once the quinoa has been added to the soup, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet with a light layer of no-stick cooking spray
3. On a cutting board, use a pizza cutter to slice a tortilla into 6 triangles.
4. Brush a thin layer of olive oil on the top of each triangle and arrange on a baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt (or other spices as desired).
6. Bake for 5 minutes, or until crispy and light brown. Enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Yield: 6 hearty bowls
• If the chili gets too thick for your liking, just add a little bit of water!
• Will keep well stored in an airtight refrigerated container for several days.
• There is a lot of cumin and chili powder in this recipe, but do not be worry- it is too spicy! I personally am not a spicy fan and actually found this quite mild. If you do want to spice things up again, try adding more cilantro, a dash of lime juice to your bowl, or more cumin!
• Source: Milk Free Mom
• If you like this recipe, check out my Homemade Wheat Thins, Quinoa Burgers, and Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Quesadillas!