This plant-based sweet potato stew is rich and comforting, made with an interesting seasoning combination including cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and basil. Serve it up with a crusty slice of bread for a satisfying comforting meal.
A rich and hearty stew is my go-to comfort food. This sweet potato stew does not disappoint! It’s got all the elements of a well-balanced plant-based meal: The grain (Arborio rice), the green (kale and sweet potato), and the bean (garbanzo and pinto).
The flavor combination is unique and delicious with a combination of ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and basil; it’s sure to delight your taste buds.
This stew goes perfectly with my Bread Machine Wheat Bread. Or, if you don’t want to take the time for that, my Beer Bread with Garlic and Herbs would be so yummy too!
As a bonus, this comforting stew is oil-free. You won’t miss the added oil in this recipe, I promise! For all of my delicious vegan soups, stews, and chowders – click here! You’ll find comforting, warm, and heartwarming vegan soup served with bread, sandwiches, or salads for a complete hearty meal.
Reasons you’ll love this sweet potato stew:
- rich and hearty
- highly flavorful
- satisfying with sweet potato and Arborio rice (risotto)
- totally plant-based
- oil-free
- makes for an easy meal prep
Table of contents
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Ingredients needed to make this satisfying plant-based stew
- sweet potatoes – these vary in size. You’ll need about six cups which is about 5 medium sweet potatoes
- white or yellow onion
- canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- canned pinto beans – or any white bean if you can’t find them
- large can of diced tomatoes
- kale
- vegetable stock or broth
- Arborio rice (risotto)
- fresh basil
- spices: ginger, garlic powder, sweet paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper
- You’ll also need a pretty large soup pot with lid
How to make sweet potato stew – it’s so easy!
Step 1: Prep the ingredients
Once you do this step, the rest is smooth sailing!
Simply peel and dice your sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch squares. Chop the onion, and basil. Wash, remove the kale from the stem and chop.
Add all to a large stew pot along with the rice and tomatoes.
A note about the kale
I’ve yet to 100% find my peace and happiness with kale. I used to use spinach for this recipe; but kale surely holds up better in a hot soup and it’s truly delicious in this soup.
Three things I’ve discovered that make kale more palatable:
- Always give it a good massage before using it raw for a salad. It really helps with the tough texture.
- I remove from the stems before using. I can’t stand the texture of kale stems – even cooked.
- It should go without saying – but always double or even triple wash your kale. I have found tiny particles of sand or dirt or pieces of grit that are really quite nasty to bite down on.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients
Add in the vegetable broth and spices and give it a stir.
I like to add in the beans last so they don’t get too mushed while I’m stirring everything else. Garbanzo beans are pretty hearty and shouldn’t fall apart. Expect that the pinto beans might a little bit. That’s okay, it will just add to the texture.
Step 3: Cook
Cook on high medium/high heat, stirring often for about 15 minutes. It will come to a boil at this time. Just don’t let the boil get too intense and crazy. Stir to bring it down or adjust the heat.
After about 15 minutes lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking for 30-45 minutes until the onions and sweet potatoes have softened.
A note about the liquid
This recipe calls for 6 cups of vegetable broth and makes a very think stew. You might want to add in more – up to 2 cups to thin it out the way you’d like. You can also use water to thin.
Some other delicious plant-based soups and stews from Veggie Fun Kitchen
- Veggie Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- African Inspired Peanut Stew
- Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup
- Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
- Creamy Vegetable Soup in the Instant Pot
The printable recipe card for Sweet Potato Stew
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Rich and Hearty Sweet Potato Stew, Vegan
Equipment
- large soup pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 6 cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion yellow or white, diced
- 1 cup kale washed and chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned with juice
- 15 ounces pinto beans canned and drained
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned and drained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup arborio rice rice for risotto
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into ½ inch squares. you will need about 6 cups which is about 3-4 medium/large sweet potatoes or 6 small sweet potatoes. Chop a medium onion. This will be about 1 cup. Triple wash and chop the kale. I do not use the stems. Chop the fresh basil.
- Add the prepared vegetables to a large soup pot along the rice, undrained tomatoes, vegetable broth, and the seasonings (ginger, garlic powder, salt, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, and pepper). Give it a stir.
- Add the garbanzo and pinto beans. Gently fold in.
- Cook on med/high, stirring often for about 15 minutes. This will bring it to a boil. Keep the boil low by stirring or by adjusting the heat.
- Turn down to simmer. Cover with a lid and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes until the onions, sweet potatoes, and rice is tender.
- This is quite a thick stew. If you'd like yours a little thinner, add up to two cups of broth or water to tastes.
It is the spices in this recipe that really make it pop! This is comfort food at its finest, and I’ll be making it often!
Delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
It was cold and raining outside and I needed something to warm me up, this stew was perfect!
ALWAYS on the lookout for hearty stew recipes that are vegan. My kids loved this one!!
This time of year, I am always looking for a good stew recipe. Your sweet potato stew was amazing!!
My family really enjoyed this soup. It is so soothing and satisfying.
Love this! Can it be frozen?