Sweet Potato Cauliflower Chili

    Ingredients

    • 2 Onions (diced)
    • 13 Jalapenos (diced, seeds removed)
    • 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
    • 1 Quart Veggie Stock
    • 2 Cups Water
    • 1 Can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
    • 20 Dried Arbol Chiles (seeds removed)
    • 2 Sweet Potatoes large diced
    • 1 Head Cauliflower rough chopped
    • 1 Can Black beans
    • 1 Can Pinto Beans
    • 1 Tablespoon Cumin
    • 1 Teaspoon Coriander
    • 1 Pinch Cinnamon
    • 1/2 Cup Cornmeal
    • More water if needed
    • For: 20 Bowls
    • Preparation: 30 min
    • Cooking: 2 h
    • Ready in: 2 h 30 min

    Instructions

    1. Microwave the stock for a few minutes until warm. Add the chiles and the chipotle. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Blend until smooth.
    2. Add the onion to a pot with some oil and cook about 20 minutes until lightly brown. Add the jalapenos. Cook 6 or 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add in the veggie-chile mixture.
    3. Also add in the sweet potato and beans. Cook about an hour until the sweet potato is tender. Add in the cauliflower after the first hour. Cook about 10 minutes. Add in the cornmeal and cook another 5 or so minutes Add a splash of water if needed. Remove from heat and serve.

    Notes

    Like most people, I try and eat healthy around this time of the year.  I have a few problems doing that, one being that as a food blogger I have deadlines that involve fatty recipes, but another is that I just simply crave comfort food at this time of the year.  I always try and rethink healthy eating based on ethnic food or healthifying your favorite recipes, and this dish is a bit of a combo of those ideas.  I wanted to make a super hearty chili, but make it full of veggies and totally vegan, and this is the recipe that came out of that.


    Soaking the chiles in veggie stock.

    A whole ton of onions go in first and cook for awhile.

    A whole ton of jalapenos are gonna go in next.

    But not until after the onions cook awhile and get nicely golden brown.

    Meanwhile blend up the chiles and the stock and then add it to the pot.

    Some sweet potatoes go in next. Cook this for like an hour to make the potatoes tender.

    Once the potatoes are about 90% tender, add the cauliflower.

    Finally, a sprinkle of cornmeal to finish it off. This gives the soup a nice thick texture and interesting flavor.

    A really nice hearty and spicy soup that will warm you up and trick you into thinking you are indulging.

    But really, it’s pretty much a salad that you are eating. A liquid salad.


    If you arent trying to be as healthy as I was that night, go ahead and top this with some yogurt, or even sour cream and cheese.
    This soup had a real kick to it, but you can easily cut the heat down by using less chipotle peppers, or swapping half the jalapenos for one bell pepper.