Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

In sunny, silly Santa Barbara, the main way I can tell that it is fall (even though it was 80 pickin' degrees yesterday...) is that there is a plethora of sweet potatoes, yams, squash and pumpkins in the store. I love them all!

As I approached lunchtime today, I looked at the sweet potato on my counter, and then turned to my pantry. With a can of diced tomatoes and a can of black beans, I was confident something good was coming... I googled those three ingredients, and here's where I landed.

Wish I could share a bowl with you right now. My tummy is quite happy. Stoked too that leftovers will be divine! Try it out.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups water
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* I also added a half-cup of frozen corn kernels

PREPARATION
Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.