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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!
Table of Contents
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 Soup or 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
- Slow Cooker – Add everything to the slow cooker pot as listed apart from the 400ml of stock and just add a stock pot/cube into the pot instead.
- 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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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 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 large sweet potatoes(roughly 800g),, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 1 tbsp 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
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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.