- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 8 cups
- Serving size: 2 cups
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This tantalizing stew has all the key ingredients of a good vegetarian chili: tender taters, hearty beans, nutrient-dense veggies, and a medley of smoky spices. The best part about this recipe is that it doesn’t require leaning over a hot stove for an hour: All you need is 20 minutes and a microwave! Make this easy recipe when you’re in a rush so you can fuel up on healthy ingredients that will keep you full and fortified. Feel free to add in corn, chickpeas, or extra tomatoes to customize this delectable dish. Serve over brown rice, and enjoy!
Tip: Look for shelf-stable pouches of cooked brown rice. Some can be microwaved in their pouch to heat. Be sure to follow the package directions.

Ingredients
- 2 medium (12 oz. each) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 cup purchased pico de gallo or salsa
- 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium chili seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 15-oz. can white beans (any variety), rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
- 4 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
- Sea salt, to taste
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl combine the first five ingredients (through garlic powder). Cover and microwave 10 to 13 minutes or until sweet potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, stirring once or twice.
- Stir in beans and kale. Cover and microwave 3 to 4 minutes or until kale is wilted. Season with salt. Mix well.
- Heat rice in microwave 2 minutes. Serve chili over rice.
Per serving (2 cups): 360 calories, 72 g carbohydrates, 16.2 g protein, 2 g total fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 544 mg sodium, 14.6 g fiber, 8 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (14)
(5 from 6 votes)I don't like microwaving my food that long. I wonder if it could be done in IP instead?
Absolutely wonderful. Any other vegetables can be added as desired…. Frozen varieties could make it really just as quick.
I Thought microwave is not healthy for cooking.
Once again, the prep time is completely inaccurate. Add in the time to peel and chop potatoes and kale, to rinse and drain beans, and to cook rice.
I am thinking of trying this, but the prep time is ridiculous! It takes 10 minutes all by itself to peel & dice a sweet potato. I hate dicing sweet potatoes because they are so hard--I usually cook them whole, whether baked, boiled or microwaved. I think if I microwave the potatoes whole for 4-5 minutes, I could probably get them soft enough to peel & dice. That would take another 5 m. Then you have to dice a bunch of kale, so that's another 5 minutes. Opening the tomatoes and beans, plus draining the beans, another 5. I have been eating this way for 15 years, so I am no neophyte. Prep time has gotten faster for me, but it still takes time! Can we please give more realistic prep times in the recipes?
Agree on timing and that’s important to me - I cheated and used frozen cubed sweet potato from Aldi.
Genius!
This absolutely delicious, HOWEVER, the cook time is way off! My suggestion is to partially cook sweet potatoes before combining or, what I did was increase cook time to 21-23 minutes. I have a brand new microwave that cooks like charm.
I microwaved for a total of 22 minutes before adding the beans and my sweet potato pieces (and I cut them really small) were still not completely tender. And I didn’t like the kale in this at all. IF I make this again, I’ll roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and substitute spinach for the kale, and I’ll cook it on the stove.
I am always looking for quick recipes, not only for myself but to make for my daughter that has a crazy work/school schedule. This is so good. Thank you.
Delish!! I just made this and it turned out great! Just make sure to test your sweet potato chunks to make sure they are cooked through, otherwise microwave a few more minutes until done. Thanks for the great, easy vegan recipe!
Excellent deliciously easy-to-make
Can you just cook this on the hob!
Don’t see why not!