Before I gave up nightshades as an experiment on dealing with inflammation and arthritis stiffness, chili was mainstay of my backpacking diet. There was nothing better then a comforting bowl of that hearty stew on the trail and I may have even thrown in some salty Fritos, too. It was a hard one to replace. Just like I talk about in my Nightshade Free Marinara, tomatoes are a difficult food to swap out. It was time to make a nightshade free version of chili!
First, I had to think about what it was that I loved about chili for this recipe: the garlic and the cumin. I’ll admit, these are some of my favorite spices and it is what helps this tasty version provide some of that same comfort. The liquid smoke is optional but offers a subtle flavor if you want to mix things up when making more than one batch of this nightshade free sweet potato chili.
#sweetpotato #cannedpumpkin #dicedonion #coconutoil #garlic #cumin #broth #smoked salt #liquidsmoke #oregano
You have heard me talk before about the nutrition in pumpkin and what a great thickener it makes for soups and sauces. Fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, Omega 3s. I love me some pumpkin! I have started buying the organic canned pumpkin at Trader Joe’s. They have a great canned butternut squash which you could use for nightshade free sweet potato chili, too.
After sautéing the onions and garlic, you can either cook this on the stove top or in the crock pot. Use the broth of your choice, I have made it with several different kinds: beef, chicken, mushroom, veggie. Use a fat free version if you want your dehydrated version to last longer without refrigeration.
When I make my own broth at home, for the benefits of collagen and calcium, I will skim the fat off the top before using if I plan to take on the trail. If you want to make your own vegan broth, you can follow my Homemade Bouillon recipe. (Don’t forget about how to add iron when using broth that I wrote about last month.)
Nightshade free sweet potato chili is perfect for starting in the crockpot when you leave in the morning so you can arrive home to its savory fragrance in the afternoon after work or time outdoors. Just make sure to save some to put in the dehydrator for your next backpacking escapade! That’s one of my favorite tricks when I make this and other soups, save a serving and add it to the dehydrator and you will have a large variety of meals all year long to enjoy.
If dehydrating the whole batch, after drying you will divide it up into 6 equal portions to store. For the version below, I used shredded sweet potatoes (because that is what I had meal prepped for the week). If you made your chili with cubes as in the recipe below and find you still have some large chunks, break them up with a fork or a few pulses in the food processor before laying out on the tray.
Feel free to add any dehydrated veggies of your choice, mushrooms or meat if that is your thing. If I plan to use any meat, I store it separately until I am ready to go on a trip unless I keep it in the freezer because it doesn’t last as long as other dehydrated food items.
Break the dry pieces up into smaller ones or pulse in the food processor to allow for faster rehydration on the trail (the more you do, the creamier your dish will be).
Editor’s Note: if you know this will be going on trail and you want it to last longer without going rancid, use water instead of the coconut oil to sauté the onions and carry coconut oil packets (or another kind) in your pack to add later. Also, if looking for a substitute for the Fritos, try plantain chips or Siete’s yummy grain free chips.
For more recipes like this, visit my Hiking and Backpacking Recipe Index.
Nightshade Free Sweet Potato Chili
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
47 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine: Autoimmune Protocol, Nightshade Free, Nut free, Paleo, Vegan, Whole Food
Servings: 6 1 cup servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion about one medium onion
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil use water if dehydrating
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups sweet potatoes diced or cubed, about 2 medium potatoes
- 2 cups canned pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin omit for AIP, use ginger or wasabi instead
- 4 cups broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked salt
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
Instructions
- Saute the onions in the coconut oil (or water) on medium heat in a large sauce pot until translucent and soft. Add the garlic and cook another minute but be careful to not let it burn.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the sauce pot, let everything come to a boil, then let simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft (about 25 minutes). You can also add everything to the crockpot after sauteing and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- If dehydrating, remove from heat and spread thinly and evenly on a jelly roll sheet in your dehydrator. If you want to hasten the drying process you can put the chili through the food processor first.
- Let dry 12-14 hours on the fruit/vegetable setting (135 degrees). Check on it about half way through and when you can pick it up, flip and dry the other side.
- When you are able to break the chili up into small pieces and can see that everything is dry through, divide it up into 6 equal portions and add extra dried foods you enjoy like mushrooms, sausage, or cilantro.
For more information about dehydrating your own food for backpacking, check out my Dehydrating 101 page.
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