• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kelly Neil logo

  • Father’s Day Breakfast
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Father’s Day Breakfast
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Father’s Day Breakfast
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Portfolio
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Kelly Neil » Recipes » Vegetarian

    Coconut Milk Chili With Sweet Potatoes

    Published: Apr 28, 2020 · Modified: Dec 11, 2021 by Kelly Neil · 1 Comment

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Print
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Coconut milk chili is packed with nutrients from sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, peppers, and corn! Skip the cheese and yogurt garnish to keep it vegan.
    Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
    Total Time: 50 minutes mins
    Two hands stirring cilantro into a pot of coconut milk chili.

    As much as I love baking, it can’t all be about Nova Scotia oatcakes, buttermilk quiche, and brown butter chocolate chip cookies. I mean, I have to actually feed my family vegetables once in a while (insert nervous laughter here).

    The coconut milk chili is delicious, and trust me, if it wasn’t, my daughter would let me know. We like to garnish ours with plain yogurt and shredded cheese, however, omit those toppings to keep the recipe vegan.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Why You NEED To Make This Recipe
    • Best Way To Store, Freeze, And Reheat Coconut Milk Chili
    • 🖨 Recipe
    A bowl of coconut milk chili topped with yogurt, cilantro, and shredded cheese.

    Ingredients

    • onion
    • garlic
    • cumin
    • dried oregano
    • salt
    • sugar
    • chili powder
    • vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer and have it on hand)
    • 1 large sweet potato
    • 1 sweet pepper
    • 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
    • 19-ounce can chickpeas
    • 19-ounce can lentils
    • 14-ounce can coconut milk
    • 12-ounce can corn
    • cornmeal
    • fresh cilantro, both chopped and whole leaves

    Why You NEED To Make This Recipe

    • It’s cheap!
    • You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
    • It’s really fast to make. I make it late in the morning to have ready for lunch.
    • It’s customizable! Swap in any beans, legumes, or veggies you prefer, or have on hand. Or visit Renées post and make her original White Bean & Chicken Chili without the tomato sauce or coconut milk.
    • You control the spice level. I only use ½ teaspoon of chili powder in the coconut milk chili which gives a bit of heat, but no so much my kid can’t eat it.
    • The chili tastes better as it sits. I swear it’s even better the second day!
    • It tastes freakin’ delicious.
    A bowl of vegetarian chili on a side plate.

    Best Way To Store, Freeze, And Reheat Coconut Milk Chili

    • To Store – I always store chili in the fridge, in the cooking pot with the lid on top, for the first night. That way we can still easily help ourselves to a small bowl if a craving strikes. After the first day, I portion the chili into glass serving containers with lids and keep a few in the fridge. The chili will keep, stored this way in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
    • To Freeze – After a couple of days, when we’re tired of eating chili constantly, I place the portioned-off sealed containers in the freezer. The chili will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • To Reheat – To reheat chili directly from the freezer I let one of the containers sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to take the chill off of the glass. I place the container in the microwave and either use the defrost option, or cook it for a few minutes at a time at half power. My partner Chris hates the microwave so he prefers to heat the chili gently in a pot on the stove until all of the frozen chunks are broken up and the chili is heated through.
    Overhead shot of a bowl of coconut milk chili.

    More Family Meal Ideas

    Did you make this coconut milk chili, or any other recipe on my site? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you made out in the comments below. You can also stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!

    🖨 Recipe

    Two hands stirring cilantro into a pot of coconut milk chili.

    Coconut Milk Chili With Sweet Potatoes & Chickpeas

    Author: Kelly Neil
    Coconut milk chili is packed with nutrients from sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, peppers, and corn! Skip the cheese and yogurt garnish to keep it vegan.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Family Meal Ideas
    Cuisine American / Canadian
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 265 kcal

    Equipment

    • Large deep-sided skillet or pot
    • Knife
    • Cutting board
    • Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
    • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
    • Liquid measuring cup
    • Can opener

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 1 small-medium onion, peeled, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
    • 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • 2 cups vegetable stock
    • 1 large sweet potato, peeled, chopped into ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) chunks
    • 1 medium-large red bell pepper, de-seeded, chopped into ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) chunks
    • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
    • 19 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 19 ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
    • 14 ounce can coconut milk
    • 12 ounce can corn, drained
    • ¼ cup cornmeal, fine grind
    • fresh cilantro, both chopped and whole leaves

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pre-heated oil and cook until they are fragrant, and the onion is translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
    • Add the ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, sugar, and chili powder to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
    • Add the vegetable stock and chopped sweet potato. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring everything to a light boil. Reduce the heat once again and keep the chili at a lively simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring often.
    • Add the chopped red pepper, crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, coconut milk, and corn to the pot. Continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
    • Sprinkle the cornmeal into the chili and stir. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. Remove the chili from the heat and stir in two handfuls of chopped cilantro stems and leaves. Serve the chili hot, garnished with plain yogurt and shredded cheese, or your other favourite chili toppings.

    Notes

    To Store—I always store chili in the fridge, in the cooking pot with the lid on top, for the first night. That way we can still easily help ourselves to a small bowl if a craving strikes. After the first day, I portion the chili into glass serving containers with lids and keep a few in the fridge. The chili will keep, stored this way in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
    To Freeze—After a couple of days, when we’re tired of eating chili constantly, I place the portioned-off sealed containers in the freezer. The chili will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    To Reheat—To reheat chili directly from the freezer I let one of the containers sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to take the chill off of the glass. I place the container in the microwave and either use the defrost option, or cook it for a few minutes at a time at half power. My partner Chris hates the microwave so he prefers to heat the chili gently in a pot on the stove until all of the frozen chunks are broken up and the chili is heated through.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 339gCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 10gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 690mgPotassium: 668mgFiber: 9gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4300IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 4mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

    More Vegetarian Recipes

    • Over head close up of super easy homemade pesto mayo.
      Pesto Mayo
    • Overhead close up of mango pico de gallo.
      Mango Pico De Gallo
    • An assortment of roasted chickpea tacos laying on a marble surface.
      Roasted Chickpea Tacos
    • Spicy garlic aioli in a jar with a long spoon inside the jar.
      Spicy Garlic Aioli
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Print

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there! 👋🏻 I'm Kelly, the food photographer and voice behind kellyneil.com. This is where you'll find my favorite Nova Scotia food and easy seasonal recipes.
    More about me →

    Father's Day Breakfast

    • Nut free granola with dried cranberries and dried apricots.
      Nut-Free Granola With Honey
    • A small glass jar of raspberry rhubarb jam on a stone surface next to a white windowsill.
      Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (small-batch)
    • A spoonful of spinach pesto laying on a stone surface.
      Spinach Pesto With Arugula
    • Overhead close up of a lobster quiche with cream cheese and asparagus in a rectangular metal tart tin on a stone surface.
      Lobster Quiche
    • A hand about to place the lid on a jar of microwave lemon curd.
      Microwave Lemon Curd
    • A wire cooling rack topped with glazed raspberry scones and a small pink bowl of lemon glaze.
      Raspberry Scones

    Featured In


    Popular Recipes

    • A serving of Nova Scotia blueberry grunt topped with whipped cream in a white speckled bowl on a stone surface.
      Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
    • A bowl of Nova Scotia seafood chowder topped with a pan seared scallop.
      Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
    • Close up overhead imahe of whipped cream cheese frosting.
      Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Bowls of homemade molasses baked beans and plates of cheese tea biscuits on the side.
      Homemade Baked Beans With Molasses
    • A whole sliced buttermilk quiche with two slices removed.
      Buttermilk Quiche
    • A jar of rhubarb curd with a wooden spoon inside.
      Rhubarb Curd
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ↑ back to top
    About Me
    Contact
    Accessibility Statement
    Privacy Policy
    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Copyright © 2023
    Kelly Neil