Ingredients You’ll Need

Sure, there are bean soups with dried beans and crockpot recipes that simmer for hours. Those are great—but I also love fast and easy soups where you don’t need to think ahead. (That’s my vibe.) So, I created this classic bean recipe, which requires just over 30 minutes and 3 cans of beans. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Canned beans: Two cans navy beans and one can kidney beans is what I like to use, but you can use any type you have on hand.
• Fire roasted tomatoes: This type of tomatoes tastes smoky and developed right out of the can (see below).
• Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic make an aromatic base.
• Olive oil: My go-to olive for sauteing the mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery).
• Vegetable broth: You can also use chicken broth or homemade vegetable broth if you keep it around.
• Spices: I add smoked paprika, cumin, fennel seeds, and kosher salt.

How To Make Pickled Vegetables

Making these mixed vegetable quick pickles requires no fancy equipment. You’ll need two quart-sized mason jars for this refrigerator pickle recipe, and that’s really it! Here are the basic steps (or go to the full recipe below):

1. Wash the jars thoroughly and air-dry them.
2. Cut the vegetables however you like. We prefer carrots and cucumbers to be sliced length-wise, but you can make them any shape you want.
3. Put the mixed vegetables into mason jars. It’ll take some elbow grease to get everything into the jars, but you want the veggies to be snugly packed in along with the herbs and spices.
4. Make the brine. Heat the ingredients over the stove to allow the kosher salt and sugar to dissolve fully. Once the brine starts to boil, remove it from the heat and carefully pour it over the veggies. Close the jars and refrigerate!
5. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before tasting them.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make cafe con leche:

• Strong coffee or espresso: Spanish coffee is usually darker than standard American drip, so I use dark roast beans here for the most authentic flavor. I like Moka pot coffee, which makes it closest to what I remember. Espresso works well too, as does French press espresso.
• Whole milk. It’s the ideal richness for pairing with the bittersweet coffee. Of course, American milk tastes a little different than Spanish milk, in a way I can’t quite describe. Want to make dairy free cafe con leche? Oat milk is your best bet. It’s the dairy-free milk that froths the best. It won’t taste quite the same, but it’s still delicious.
• Sugar. This is traditional; see below for more about how to sweeten cafe con leche.

How to Make Cafe con Leche

1. Brew the coffee. Make ½ cup (4 oz) of strong dark roast coffee in a Moka pot, or pull a double shot of espresso.
2. Heat and froth the milk. Steam ½ cup (4 oz) whole milk using an espresso machine, using the instructions for stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height: see How to Steam Milk. Or, froth the milk with a hand-held frother, French press, or whisk. The best tool is a frother if you have it, but a French press also works great. A whisk makes very large bubbles in the foam, but it works for cafe con leche: go to How to Froth Milk.
3. Sweeten and combine. Stir the sugar into the hot coffee first so it dissolves completely, then pour in the milk and serve right away.

Love espresso? You can also try more of my espresso drinks, like a Latte, Americano, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Flat White, Mocha, Iced Latte or Iced Vanilla Latte

More Coffee Drinks

• French Press Coffee
• Pour Over Coffee
• Cafe au Lait
• Cortado
• Gibraltar
• Cold Brew Coffee
• French Press Cold Brew

Ingredients You’ll Need

Most of this comes from the pantry, but a few ingredients do the heavy lifting:

• Sweet potatoes: Clean them and then chop into a ½-inch dice. No need to peel them; the skins soften and add a little texture.
• Red onion and green bell peppers: Red onion cooks down a little mellower than yellow. Green peppers keep it savory.
• Garlic: There’s quite a bit of garlic, but it infuses a savory flavor needed for a plant-based chili.
• Diced tomatoes: Make sure to use this liquid: this will be part of the body of the chili.
• Beans: You can use pinto, black, or kidney beans: whatever is in your cupboard!
• Corn: Fresh, canned or frozen work (I most often use canned).
• Chili powder, cumin, and cayenne: The seasoning backbone.
• Cocoa powder and balsamic vinegar: These two secret ingredients add depth!
• Masa harina: Optional, but it thickens the chili and adds a subtle corn flavor.

Tips For Sweet Potato Chili

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when making it:

• It makes a huge pot. This one is perfect for feeding a crowd (we’re of the opinion that chili should only be made in massive quantities). It makes enough for 8 servings.
• It’s plant-based (vegan). If you keep the garnishes vegan like with Vegan Sour Cream, this is also a plant-based chili! But you can absolutely top with cheese and sour cream.
• Use canned or dried beans. For the beans in this sweet potato chili recipe, you can use any type you’d like: make it a sweet potato black bean chili, or use pinto and chili beans. You also can cook up a pot of your own beans: we cooked our own dried beans using our Dutch oven method. You can also try our Instant Pot black beans method.

Variations And Substitutions

• Make it a sweet potato chili with ground beef or ground chicken. Brown one pound of ground beef or turkey with the onions and peppers, drain the fat, then continue as written.
• Add smoked paprika. A teaspoon alongside the cumin gives it underlying smoky notes.
• Dial the heat down. If kids are eating, start with 2 tablespoons and skip the cayenne entirely.
• Use the slow cooker. Sauté the vegetables first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker on low for 6 to 7 hours. Stir in the masa slurry and vinegar during the last 30 minutes.

Chili Topping Ideas

As any chili lover knows, garnishes are key. Alex and I liked the taste right out of the pot, but we loved it with hot sauce, sour cream, shredded cheese, and green onions. Make sure not to skimp on the toppings! Here are my favorite chili toppings:

1. Sour cream or vegan sour cream
2. Shredded cheese
3. Sliced green onions or minced red onion
4. Roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
5. Minced red onion
6. Vegan nacho cheese
7. Canned pickled jalapenos or Homemade Pickled Jalapeños
8. Pickled onions
9. Cilantro
10. Lime wedges