Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans

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A bowl of creamy white chili with sweet potatoes is the perfect comfort food to warm you from the inside out. This hearty plant-based dish blends white beans and the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes in a rich, flavorful broth. A can of chopped green chiles adds to the warmth. If you like your chili on the mild side, opt for mild green chiles.

a recipe photo of the Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans
Credit:

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Sally McKay, Prop Stylist Hannah Greenwood

Active Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Servings:
6
  • This comforting dish is perfect for chilly weather, with creamy white beans and sweet potatoes for a hearty texture.
  • Eating legumes, such as great northern beans, is linked to a healthier heart and gut, and reduced inflammation.
  • Feel free to swap the great northern beans with cannellini beans—they’ll be just as delicious.

This Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes is just what you need on a chilly night. Protein-rich, creamy white beans and antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes bring the “meatiness” to this chili. Onions, garlic and cumin add a spicy earthiness that balances out the heat from the green chiles. And velvety cream cheese adds a touch of richness and gives the broth some body. Keep reading for our expert tips, including why you should sauté the sweet potato and onion together.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

  • Sautéing the sweet potato with the onion before adding in the rest of the ingredients reduces the total cooking time.
  • Heat releases the oils within cumin and garlic, which results in a bolder and more complex flavor.
  • You can use a fork or potato masher to mash the beans.
  • The great northern beans can be replaced with cannellini beans, and you can substitute the vegetable broth with chicken broth if you wish.

Nutrition Notes

  • Great northern beans are a type of legume and are loaded with plant protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals—like potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Eating more legumes has been linked to a healthier heart and gut and reduced inflammation. 
  • As evidenced by its deep orange color, sweet potato is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins A and C. The fiber in sweet potato will help fill you up and provide food for your beneficial gut bacteria. You may have a healthier heart and gut by regularly eating sweet potatoes. 
an image of the ingredients to make the Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans

Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Sally McKay, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado

  • 1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and coarsely chopped (about cups)

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

  • teaspoons ground cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added great northern beans, rinsed

  • cups unsalted vegetable broth

  • 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained

  • 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

  • Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

  • Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add chopped sweet potato and chopped onion; cook, stirring often, until the onion is lightly golden brown and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons cumin and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rinsed beans, 2½ cups broth and 1 can chiles; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 4 ounces cream cheese until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the difference between chili and white bean chili?

    Traditional chili recipes typically include dark-colored beans, beef and tomatoes, while white bean chili recipes use lighter-colored ingredients like white beans, chicken, potatoes, cream cheese and heavy cream.

  • Can I make white bean chili ahead?

    Absolutely! Chili often tastes even better the day after it’s made. You can prepare this recipe up to 5 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. White bean chili also freezes well for 4 to 6 months when stored in a freezer-safe container (remember to label it with a date). Additionally, sweet potatoes don’t oxidize like regular potatoes, so you can save time by prepping them up to 3 days in advance and storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

  • How do I reheat leftovers?

    Reheat leftovers over medium heat on the stovetop, or microwave on High for 1-minute increments until heated through. With both methods, it’s important to stir the chili often so that all the ingredients get evenly heated through.

  • Should the consistency of chili be thick or soupy?

    The consistency of our white bean chili should be thick and hearty, thanks to the great northern beans and sweet potato.

  • What should I serve with white bean chili?

    While this chili is a complete meal on its own, you can serve it with warm rolls, like our Slow-Cooker Honey Whole-Wheat Rolls, so that you can get every last bit of flavor at the bottom of the bowl. It would also be excellent with our Creole Skillet Cornbread.

Recipe Updates

Based on earlier review and comments of this recipe, we’ve retested and made the following adjustments (and updated the nutritional analysis accordingly):

  • Took out water (to improve consistency)
  • Decreased broth (to improve consistency)
  • Increased cumin (to boost flavor)

Updated March 2025

EatingWell.com, October 2024

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

229 Calories
7g Fat
32g Carbs
11g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Serving Size about 1 cup
Calories 229
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 8g 29%
Total Sugars 4g
Added Sugars 0g 0%
Protein 11g 21%
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Vitamin A 396µg
Vitamin C 14mg 15%
Vitamin D 0µg
Vitamin E 1mg 5%
Folate 109µg
Vitamin K 3µg
Sodium 526mg 23%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 3mg 16%
Magnesium 62mg 15%
Potassium 621mg 13%
Zinc 1mg 11%
Vitamin B12 0µg
Omega 3 0g

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by
Carrie Myers, M.S.
Carrie Myers
Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic.
and
Linda Frahm
Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications.