Hearty Vegan Sweet Potato Stew (Printable Copy)

Comforting stew with sweet potatoes, beans, and colorful vegetables in a robust tomato broth.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (approximately 1.1 lb)
02 - 2 medium Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 0.66 lb)
03 - 2 carrots, sliced
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 zucchini, diced
09 - 1 cup baby spinach (optional)

→ Beans & Legumes

10 - 1 can (14 oz) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Tomato Broth

12 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
13 - 4 cups vegetable broth
14 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Spices & Seasoning

15 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
18 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
19 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
20 - 1 bay leaf
21 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

22 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
23 - Lemon wedges (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced celery, and carrots; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic, diced red bell pepper, and diced zucchini. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced sweet potatoes, diced potatoes, smoked paprika, dried thyme, ground cumin, black pepper, and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, then add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and the bay leaf. Increase heat to bring mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
06 - Add the drained beans and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the flavors meld and the stew thickens.
07 - Stir in baby spinach if using and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
08 - Adjust seasoning as needed and remove the bay leaf. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely filling without feeling heavy, so you can eat a big bowl guilt-free on a weeknight.
  • One pot means one cleanup, and the flavors only get better if you leave it simmering a little longer than planned.
  • It freezes beautifully, turning a single cooking session into multiple ready-made meals that taste homemade.
02 -
  • Don't add the beans until the potatoes are actually tender, or you'll end up biting into hard starch while the beans are falling apart.
  • If your stew tastes flat at the end, it's usually because it needs more salt or acid, not more spices—a squeeze of lemon or a dash more thyme makes an enormous difference.
03 -
  • Buy your sweet potatoes the night before cooking so they're at room temperature—they cook more evenly than cold ones.
  • If you want to add heat, stir in chili flakes at the end so you can control how much kick the stew actually has rather than guessing at the beginning.
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