Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Of all the fantastic legumes, I (Sara) would have to say that black beans are my favorite. Not only do they have a very low carbon and water footprint, but they also have healthy proteins and fiber that are vital for a vegetarian diet. They can be made into so many things, including Cuban frijoles negros, vegetarian tacos, and chili. I have picked chili for this newsletter because it is a great comfort food and easy to make with the busyness of the new semester.

The greatest challenge for me to cook sustainably is finding ingredients that use the most sustainable packaging. The reason that I chose chili for our first recipe is because it uses cans, which are affordable and easy to recycle. Spices are a little bit trickier, as those with glass containers are often expensive. However, most of the ones that use plastic packaging have recyclable containers, so I tend to make concessions in this instance.

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (or any oil really) 
• 1 chopped organic yellow onion
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
• 2 cans of organic black beans
• 1 can of organic tomato sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of rotel tomatoes (or the organic alternative if you can find it)
• Spices:
  • 2 tablespoons of chili seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • 2 teaspoons of basil
  • 2 teaspoons of thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of salt (add more or less to taste)

Instructions:

1. Wash and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes. I tend to leave the skin on because its easier, less wasteful, and there's really no reason not to.
2. Boil a pot of water and place the sweet potatoes in the pot.
3. After about 6-8 minutes (or until they are semi-soft), remove the sweet potatoes and put them aside.
4. Heat up the oil in a skillet at medium heat and once it's warm, add the onions and garlic.
5. Once the onions are glassy, add the black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, rotel, and the sweet potatoes.
6. As soon as the ingredients are heated up, add all the spices.
7. Once the spices are mixed in, turn the heat onto low and let the chili simmer for an hour.
8. After an hour, the flavors of the chili should be good and mixed, and it is ready to eat!
9. I recommend topping the chili with cheddar cheese.

Sara is a sophomore International Relations major at Pomona from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is especially interested in environmental policy, the effects of climate change, and food sustainability.