Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

I am usually not a fan of vegetarian chili- it somehow tastes insubstantial, but I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious, hearty and satisfying this was. It is adapted from Bon Appetit magazine.

For the chili:
1 T oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 T tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock
1 14.5 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomato
1 chipotle chilis in adobo, minced
2 T chili powder of your choice (I used ordinary McCormick chili powder)
1 T ground coriander
1 t dried oregano
1/4 cup quick-cooking bulgur
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into approximately 1 1/2" cubes
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling on the sweet potatoes

Toppings:
pickled jalapenos
sour cream
grated cheese
chopped green onions
cilantro

Preheat oven to 400º; drizzle the sweet potatoes with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 50 until soft. Set aside.
Heat the oil and add the red onion and garlic; saute for about 5 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the tomato paste and fry until it turns a deep orange/red, about 3 minutes or so. Add the spices and chipotle chili and stir for about a minute until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock along with some salt to taste. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the bulgur and cook according to package directions (mine were from Trader Joe's and cooked for 10 minutes). Carefully and gently add the sweet potatoes so that they don't break up and turn to mush. Add the toppings that you like and enjoy.