This gluten-free and vegan Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew is absolutely packed full of colour, flavour and goodness. It is so simple to make, uses only one pot and can be made for under £4, costing roughly £1 per portion! It’s also one of the most popular recipes I have ever created so I am sure you’re going to enjoy it too.
Recipe Difficulty – Easy!
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Why this recipe works
This Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew is the perfect comforting dish to make during this cold weather. One of the best parts about this recipe is there is minimal prep and you simply chuck all the ingredients into one-pot to cook down. No hassle, minimal effort and incredibly simple to make, give it a go!
I was inspired to create this recipe as my Hearty Potato Stew and 15 Minute Chickpea Stew recipes have been so popular! However, this recipe has a different combination of spices that really take the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew to the next level. Paired with rice or the ultimate Quinoa you won’t look back! I can guarantee this recipe will be on a weekly rotation in your household!
Ingredients to make Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew
- Spinach – this adds some greenery and extra nutrition. Alternatively, kale would work nicely too!
- Tomato Puree – this adds flavour, depth and body to the stew.
- Canned Tomatoes – add the perfect amount of liquid to the stew and also provides a rich and sweet flavour with a touch of acidity.
- Ground Coriander – a fresh tasting spice, that is floral and citrusy.
- Paprika – this spice provides a round, woody, smokey flavour that really takes this Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew to the next level!
- Turmeric – an earthy spice, which helps provide depth to the flavours of the stew
- Chilli Flakes – these provide a subtle, yet gentle heat to the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew.
- Cayenne Pepper – add depth, body and a gentle spice to the stew
- Vegetable Stock – adds to the general flavour as well as adding body and depth to the recipe.
- Black Beans – a great source of plant-based protein and adds some texture.
- Onion – I’ve used a red onion here, however you could use a white onion if you preferred.
- Garlic – adding garlic offers a gentle spice and adds more flavour.
- Sweet Potato – these have a mild and starchy flavour along with a sweetness than an ordinary potato doesn’t have. If you have any spare then also try my Sweet Potato Satay Curry.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Sweet Potato – this Sweet Potato and Black Bean recipe would also work well with butternut squash instead of sweet potato. If you are a butternut squash lover, then I have a great Butternut Squash and Coconut Dhal you should try!
- Black Beans – these could be substituted for another bean such as chickpeas or even tinned lentils if you preferred!
- Onion – I’ve used a red onion as there is already a lot of flavour in this recipe, however you could use a white onion for a stronger flavour if desired.
- Spinach – kale would also work well in this recipe, if using kale, I would cook this for around 5 minutes to allow the kale to fully soften.
Variations
- Deluxe – this recipe is already incredibly tasty, however if you have dinner guests and would like to take it to the next level, be sure to add some chopped coriander on top and serve it with some fresh lime wedges! You could even accompany it with my 3 Ingredient Gluten Free Flatbreads to really soak up the sauce and flavours!
- Kid-friendly – I make all my dishes mild for all to enjoy, however if you have a child who is particular sensitive to spice you could reduce the quantities of cayenne pepper and chilli flakes which would make it even milder.
- Meat – if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, you could also add some meat into this recipe such as chicken (I would add this in step 2).
Instructions to make Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew
Step 1: Firstly, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes and dice the red onion
Step 2: Heat a large pot on a medium heat with olive oil and add crushed garlic, onion and spices and then fry together for a couple minutes
Step 3: Then add the tinned tomatoes, black beans, sweet potato, tomato puree, vegetable stock and a pinch of pepper and stir together
Step 4: Bring to a boil then reduce to a low heat placing the lid on the pan for 20-25 minutes (until your desired consistency, I like mine fairly thick). Finally, stir through the spinach until it wilts.
Leftovers
Always make extras as this tastes even better the next day! You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a couple days or freeze it down to enjoy another day.
Recipe FAQs
No, I make my dishes mild for everyone to enjoy. If you are particularly sensitive to spice you would reduce the cayenne pepper and chilli flake quantity. Alternatively, if spice is your vice, then feel free to increase these quantities!
Absolutely, if you are vegan or vegetarian you could serve this dish with quinoa for an added protein hit. If you aren’t vegan or vegetarian you could add your meat of choice into pot (at step 2).
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a couple of days! This recipe is great as it can be frozen for up to 1 month so perfect to grab out of the freezer if your fridge is running bare.
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Tried this Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew recipe? Please leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and let me know how you get on. Hearing positive feedback is one of the best parts of creating recipes so please review it below and leave a comment!
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Recipe
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- large pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil/coconut oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 heaped tsp turmeric
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 large sweet potatoes(roughly 800g), peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 2x 400g cans tomatoes
- 2x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 400 ml veg stock
- 2-3 handfuls fresh spinach or kale
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Firstly peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes and dice the red onion
- Heat a large pot on a medium heat with olive oil and add crushed garlic, onion and spices and then fry together for a couple minutes
- Then add the tinned tomatoes, black beans(drained), sweet potato, tomato puree, vegetable stock and a pinch of pepper and stir together
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a low heat placing the lid on the pan for 20-25 minutes (until your desired consistency, I like mine fairly thick)
- Finally, add the spinach and stir through until it wilts and it's ready to serve
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that Nutrition information is a rough estimate
Really tasty and easy to do!
Thanks Sally 🙂
Excellent and so easy! I added more than a pinch of crushed chilies though. Served with homemade molasses bran bread. A perfect fall meal.
Thank you 🙂 glad you enjoyed it!
This is very good. I like the ease of the recipe and how healthy it is. Next time I will add smoked paprika and corn. I think what you call tomato purée is called tomato paste in the US. This would be a critical thing to know, as tomato purée (US version) would not give the depth of flavor this has.
Delicious and so simple!
A regular meal now. Few ingredients yet tasty and colourful. Thanks.
Thanks Graham 🙂 glad you’re enjoying it!
I absolutely love this, and have made it a few times now. Last time I made it I decided to freeze a portion for another day, but ate the rest for 2 days on the trot.
I’m actually so surprised at how good this is.
I doubled the spices, used smoked paprika and chicken stock instead of vegetable. Finished off with some lime juice.
This is so easy & delicious!
I made this for my daughter to take home to her family in Yorkshire. They absolutely loved it and asked for the recipe. So will be a regular in there household. Thank you
Amazing, what else can I say
Made this tonight, absolutely fantastic!! Served with stuffed portobello mushrooms and tenderstem broccoli. Will definitely make again
gorgeous
added creme fraiche as it was too hot for me
just delicious
Super recipe! Have filled up the freezer with leftovers. Delicious and convenient for the winter!
Absolutely delicious! Simple ingredients but the end result is a great tasting stew – and it’s so healthy. Thank you! I’m now eyeing up all your other recipes
Awesome dish. Most of our meals have meat of some sort but trying to change that bit by bit. This dish goes a long way to making it a pleasure rather than a chore. Super easy to make and likened to a healthy chilli. Probably a bit spicy for our young children but my better half said it is one of the best dishes I’ve cooked. I’ve taken the credit but from one James to another thanks for the great addition to our family meals. I halved most of the ingredients as only 2 eating, chucked in some left over sweetcorn and frozen spinach. Sublime with rice . Look forward to getting your book on this basis
It’s my favourite dish now. I’m making it for the third time at the moment.
Absolutely gorgeous James. I pimped it up slightly by adding some vegan sliced sausages and making vegan dumplings to cook on the top of it.
Hi James!
Is it canned diced tomatoes? And is it 1 tablespoon of tomato paste or purée? Recipe calls for purée but some reviewers called it paste. I’m guessing it’s paste since only 1 tablespoon but wanted to clarify !
Can’t wait to try this! Thanks!
Hey Rose, yep tinned diced tomatoes and tomato puree 🙂 enjoy!
Absolutely delicious, this is my new favourite meal!! Sweet potatoes and black beans go so well together, and you found the perfect amount of spices for this recipe. I am really looking forward to cooking it again! Thank you so much James!
Made this this evening and was absolutely delicious I’d run out of turmeric and followed Google’s advise of substituting it with ginger and cumin ….thanks for sharing, definitely be making this again!’
Thank you Shannon 🙂 glad you enjoyed it!
I just made your recipe on the stovetop, and it is absolutely delicious. I make it again. I’d like to try my slow cooker next time just to see how that works. What do you recommend for the cook time once everything is mixed in there? And would you still suggest starting the spices, garlic and onion on the stovetop before transferring to the slow cooker?
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes others have done 🙂
I made stew today and it’s delicious. Plus, it smells wonderful! I’ll definitely make it again.
Thanks Sonja 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner tonight except so I had to change the name of it to butternut squash and black bean stew. I subbed out 300 g of butternut squash instead of the sweet potato for caloric raisins and added 1 teaspoon of maple syrup for the sweetness. I also dropped the veggie stock to 300ml instead of 400ml. Add a little bit more garlic then you’d called for. It came out spectacular. Really really liked it. Great job again James. Thank you for your creativity.
Hi James,
I just wanted to comment and let you know that I loved your sweet potato and bean recipe. I’ve featured it on my ‘antioxidant challenge recipe roundup’ list. This is the link: https://www.happierwithtea.com/index.php/2020/02/13/antioxidant-challenge-recipe-roundup-36-recipes/?preview_id=769&preview_nonce=35bedcd9c2&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=783
Thank you so much!
Appreciate that Freya 🙂 thank you!
Wow. This is incredibly delicious. I’m making it for the third time.
That’s awesome Marci 🙂 so pleased you’re enjoying it!
This is soooo delicious. My friends came over to dinner and loved it as much as I did. Also very healthy.
Just tried this recipe yesterday!! It turned out amazing and so easy to make. I love it and so healthy, it might even convert my husband into eating more veg, still haven’t got him to try it as yet!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Love to hear that Nikita 🙂 thanks for sharing!
This is delicious! I made it exactly as written and served it with brown rice. Family loved it; hubby had two bowlsful.
The spices and the other ingredients meld so well together. This will definitely be on my cooking rotation.
Thank you for sharing!
Amazing so pleased you all enjoyed it Betsy!!
What did I do wrong? I am making this right now. I have put on low for over an hour and the sweet potatoes are still hard. They are under 1″ square. Thanks
I would say either the heat isn’t high enough or you cut the potatoes too big as they should have softened well before an hour!
I am on this website everyday searching for my next dinner. This sweet potato black bean stew is one of my favourites. It’s a great for batch cooking and freezing. I confess, I am lazy, I don’t bother peeling my sweet potatoes!
Thank you Caroline 🙂 so pleased to hear you keep coming back for more recipes! Glad I can help.
This was so delicious. 8 year old grandson had 2 servings and he always say “I don’t like veggies.”
Yay so pleased to hear it when the kids enjoy the recipes 🙂 thanks TJ!
Just made this, and it is absolutely delicious. Even my 6 year old is loving it.
I added celery and instead of 2 tins of blackbeans, I had one, and added a tin of adzuki beans.
Will definitely make this again.
Thanks!!
Yay thank you Natalie, so pleased to hear both you and your son enjoyed it!
I’ve just made & eaten this fabulous, easy & tasty stew.
I used smoked paprika, because I love the flavour.
But amazing as always. Many thanks
Thank you Catherine 🙂 glad to hear you enjoyed it!
hey James this recipe sounds wonderful; my two fave foods: sweet potatoes and black beans. I cant use turmeric because of gallbladder issues, any other spice you might replace this with?
Hey Marie, I would personally just leave it out, or just have a taste when it’s cooking and see if there is anything else you would like to add 🙂 let me know how it goes!
James if I wanted to swap the black beans for lentils how many grams of lentils would I use
By the way I love your recipe
Hey Jackie, I would swap for same quantity (canned weight)
My family loved it!
Delicious recipe:) Thank you so much. I made this for a Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and it complimented the spread very well. I added some cayenne pepper to kick it up. I also added some plant base sausage. All in all you can’t go wrong with this recipe. I will be making this again.
Love this Jonathan! So pleased you enjoyed it for thanks giving 🙂
I really enjoyed this recipe, it still tastes great for lunch the day after and freezes well. Thank you
Thanks Charlotte 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it!
Hey. I was considering adding a link back to your website
since both of our web sites are centered around the same subject.
Would you prefer I link to you using your website address: https://healthylivingjames.co.uk/sweet-potato-black-bean-stew/ or blog title:
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew. Please let me know at your
earliest convenience. Thank you
Hey 🙂 website address would be best. Thanks for the share!
Delicious! I added some Farro and a splash of lime.
Thank you Heather 🙂 glad you enjoyed it!
This has become a meat free Monday favourite with our family. I swapped the sweet potato for butternut squash & added a heaped teaspoon of harissa paste for an extra kick. The kitchen smelt amazing, I’m going to use the base sauce with pasta or rice next time.
Thank you Bryn, so pleased the whole family enjoyed it!
As I website possessor I conceive the articles here is very fantastic,
appreciate it for your efforts.
HI!
I have a quick question. Is the tinned tomatoes referring to diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, puree tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes?
Thanks!
Amy
Hey Amy, I use tinned chopped tomatoes in mine but most you mention would still work fine 🙂
Wondering if I could use garlic and onion tomato sauce? I don’t have canned tomatoes right now and t can’t get to the store.
Love this stew, so easy and quick to make and delicious to. It’s great for freezing to.
Yay 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it Lois and thanks for sharing your feedback!
I have made this today with one can less tomatoes and some extra chilli powder
Served with quinoa for the family and I had by itself with jalapeños added
Can you help me with the calorie/ nutrition for this recipe?
I am making meal prep small portions, so would really help estimate the calorie content
Thank you 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed the recipe! I don’t personally count calories in my recipes but it should be fairly easy to plug into an app to let you know.
Hi
Can you share the calorie / nutrition for this stew?
This dish looked and smelled delicious while cooking, but unfortunately all the flavors of the spices seemed to get lost and muddied. I wish I knew what had happened.
Hey Melissa, sorry you felt that way! Never heard anyone say it lacked flavour for them. I would suggest upping the spices next time.
Love this dish it’s so tasty and easy to make. My son who keeps himself fit and likes to eat healthy really enjoyed this dish too.
Thank you for leaving a review Caroline, pleased you both enjoyed it!
Made it last week with quinoa as a side dish and today with rice. In my opinion quinoa fits this meal perfectly while rice feels a bit too dry.
The meal itself is fantastic. So easy to make and these ingredients I always have at home so I believe this is going to become one of the favorite meals to cook. Thank you for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it Samantha 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Just made this fabulous dish. I used red (instead of black) beans and smoked (instead of regular) paprika. I also slow cooked it for over an hour to ensure the sweet potato was soft and the flavours were absorbed. I added way more spinach, to use it up. I got about 15 serves!
Yay so pleased you enjoyed it Sarah 🙂 thanks for sharing your great feedback!
Made this today. Used passata instead of tinned tomatoes and didn’t have a red onion, only brown. Did half and half sweet potatoes and butternut squash. I forgot to add the spinach! Will remember with the leftovers
I served it with mashed potatoes and added chopped up meat free sausages. Was enjoyed by the whole family and have enough to freeze for another meal next week.
Thank you for the recipe
This is delicious and very quick. I am thrilled to have another reliable, easy, and healthy recipe to add to my limited repertoire.
So pleased you enjoyed it Abby 🙂 thanks for sharing your feedback!
This was so simple to make and the spice level was great! Thank you!
Yay 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it Zeinah! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Just made this today and it turned out great. Very pleased with it and it tastes so good, will definitely be making again.
Yay! So pleased you enjoyed it Cheryl 🙂 thanks for sharing your feedback!
I liked this recipe, but next time i’ll use more vegetables and less potatoes. Thanks!
I have now made this twice and it’s a fabulous recipe! Thank you! Easily enough for four, so I halved the recipe the second time. First time, as I had so much, I ended up adding the spinach to one half, as per the recipe, then I added mushrooms and red pepper to the other half and topped with mashed potatoes, leeks and vegan cheese to make a sort of vegan cottage pie.
Hey Caroline, love that you enjoyed it and that’s such a great idea with the leftovers, never thought of doing that. I might try it next time so thank you for sharing 🙂
I loved the recipe. For my leftovers I plan to freeze for an easy dinner. What would you suggest on the best way to reheat the leftovers?
Hey Maria, so pleased you enjoyed it and thanks for leaving a review! You can either reheat in a pan on a simmer (you may need to add a little bit of water) or use a microwave if you prefer.
Really enjoyed this!
Yay so pleased, thank you for leaving feedback Joi!
What a beautiful dish! My 9 month old could not get enough! My picky 3 year old wouldn’t eat the beans and lentils I put in but did love the sauce which is a big thumbs up! I had run out of tomato paste so did not add any, or any chilli and only added a small dash of cayenne pepper so that it was suitable for my little girls. A really lovely tasting dish.
So glad I’ve found your site, will be trying alot more recipes. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Aww thank you for the lovely feedback Patricia, so pleased everyone enjoyed it! Enjoy the rest of my recipes 🙂
I put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and it turned out great! Very tasty and healthy.
Hey Joss, so pleased it worked well for you in your slow cooker! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is so easy to make and is delicious. I have to admit, I was sceptical as during the simmering the taste of turmeric seemed to overpower the dish a little, however ‘fully cooked’ the flavours are absolutely perfect and I’m so glad I’ve made it! I love this type of dish as I can freeze portions for the days when putting a healthy and nutritious meal together is just not going to happen! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! P.s. I’m a hungry Horace and I got 6 portions out of this recipe.
Yay so pleased you enjoyed it PeeBee! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback.
James
Aww thank you so much Rosalind! So happy you both enjoyed it 🙂 enjoy all the other recipes.
Such a great dish! I’ve made this twice in the last month – once just for my boyfriend and I and another time when cooking for a large crowd (I tripled the recipe and added corn and the flavor still came through very nicely!). I got tons of compliments on this and will definitely be adding it to my regular recipes list 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
LOVE this Sarah!!! Thank you so much for sharing your great review and I am really pleased everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Thank you! I’m going to make right now. Can’t wait!
We are not vegetarian but enjoy eating vegetarian meals twice a week or more. Just made this lovely tasty stew, recommend by my sister, who loves it. My husband and I thought it was great. One for my recipe file thank you , no going to check out some of your other recipes to try.
Hello – Do you use whole canned tomatoes? Thank you.
Hey Kate,
I use 2 cans of tinned chopped tomatoes 🙂 hope that helps.
James
I’m just preparing this now, ready for this evening’s meal. Smells divine!
Thank you Sharon, I hope you enjoyed it? 🙂
SO SO SO good. Thank you James!!
Aww thank you so much Allison 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it!
Hello there! I was wondering if this could be done in a slow cooker and if so if anybody had suggestions on the cook time?
Hey Melody,
I personally haven’t tried it in a slow cooker. I had been meaning to give it a go at some point though. I wonder if the sweet potato would get overcooked and go mushy. I would start with say low setting for say 7 hours, would love to know how you get on if you try it.
Interested to hear if anyone else has tried it though?
James
Hi James! I tried this recipe last night and it was so good and fulfilling! My apartment smelled amazing and I could still smell the aroma when I woke up this morning! I am adding this recipe to my list of go to’s!
Hey Amrine,
Yay, so happy you enjoyed it and thank you for sharing your review.
James
Hey! I’m looking forward to trying this. Have you tried it in a crockpot by chance?
Hey Jacquelyn,
I haven’t actually, I had thought about trying it though as it might work. I just worry about the sweet potato going too soft if cooked for too long. Give it a try though and let me know how you get on 🙂
James
Wow cooked this dish tonight, it was absolutely delicious! All three of us loved it, I served it with quinoa, really filling and plenty left over for another day. This is the third recipe of yours we’ve tried and really impressed so far, looking forward to trying more.
Hey Lois,
Oh I am so pleased you all enjoyed it and thank you so much for leaving feedback 🙂
Keep enjoying those recipes!
James
Hi James, I think this was my fault. The tomato paste from Tesco is ‘double concentrated’ and I probably went a bit OTT with it. I’ve had another go and it’s come out really well. Thanks!
Pleased it worked better for you this time James 🙂
Hey,
Tried this out tonight. Not sure where I went wrong but I really struggled with the acidity of mine. I suspect that I was probably too generous with the crushed chilli, that or the tomato puree I used is just too concentrated. I used mostly Tesco ingredients (Tinned tomatoes, puree) and Marigold powder to make my own stock. It would be good to cross check with some of the successful people here as to which products they used.
I’ll give this another go and rate accordingly – thanks for the recipe.
Hey James,
Thank you for leaving your feedback.
Sorry you felt it was a little too acid for you. Not had that feedback so far.
I actually use Tesco myself for the tomatoes and puree and also the same stock. I guess its a very tomato heavy base to this dish and some may find that a little strong but the sweetness of the potato should help to counteract that.
You could add a little honey or maple to help sweeten it if you feel it’s necessary for your taste buds.
Let me know how you get on.
James
Hi there!
I had the same issue with a previous meal and you’re right that’s canned tomatoes from Tesco(the cheapest one as far as I remember!;))))I used passata for this one and it worked out well, really delicious!!!
James that’s another recipe of yours …and another success…^^THANK YOU:)
Hey Mari, so pleased you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for leaving some feedback 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and it’s soooo good! I forgot to make the rice so I ended up eating it by itself and I’m glad I did because I had room for seconds. Wondering if it freezes well?
Hey Kara,
Really pleased you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for sharing your feedback!
Yes it freezes well, perfect for a healthy meal another day 🙂
James
Hi James.
Oh my goodness!!
I have just tried this recipe and it is delicious. It was so simple to make and the aroma’s in the kitchen smelt amazing.
My partner doesnt eat veg at all and im still trying to get him to embrace the thought of a plant based diet. He tried this and couldnt get over how tasty it was. Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe.
Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
many thanks
samantha x
Aww absolutely LOVE this Samantha!!! Really pleased you both enjoyed it and thank you so much for sharing your feedback 🙂