Slow Cooker Black Bean, Quinoa and Sweet Potato Stew

By: Denise Bustard77 Comments
Posted: 1/7/21 Updated: 1/8/21

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Hearty, healthy, and filled with delicious southwestern flavor, this slow cooker black bean, quinoa and sweet potato stew is so easy to prep! Works great as a weeknight dinner, and can be meal prepped in multiple ways.

The slow cooker is such a great appliance for cooking soups and stews. From slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew to roasted red pepper chili, letting it simmer while you go about your day makes dinner hands off and easy to serve up.

Black bean, quinoa and sweet potato stew in a blue bowl with a spoon

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When cooking soups and stews in the slow cooker, I love looking for ones that do not require a sauté step. This means that it is so easy to measure your ingredients into the slow cooker, stir it up, and set it to cook!

With the perfect blend of chili powder and cumin, subtle sweetness from the sweet potatoes and corn, acid from the tomatoes, and bulk from the corn and black beans, it is hearty, healthy, and full of delicious Southwestern flavor.

Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe

no sautéing means it's easy to prep
you can cook it in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot
you can meal prep it in 2 different ways

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel!

Ingredient notes

sweet potatoes- for this recipe, you'll need 4 cups of sweet potato cubes. This is approximately 1 medium sweet potato or two small sweet potatoes. You are welcome to peel them, or to leave the skin on.
black beans- use cooked, canned black beans, or cook your own in the Instant Pot!
quinoa- we've used white quinoa in this recipe, but any type should work fine
stock- use vegetable or chicken stock; the stew can end up thicker for some people than others, and this may depend on the type of quinoa. Feel free to add extra stock to thin out the stew as you'd like.

Step by step directions

Assemble- In the base of a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, stir together the sweet potato cubes, corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, salt, cumin, chili powder, stock and quinoa.

Cook on low- Place the lid on the slow cooker, then program it on low heat for 6 hours.

Add lime juice- Just before serving your stew, stir in 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and taste to determine if added salt should be added. Adding an acidic ingredient at the end of a long slow cooker cook time is one of my favorite tricks; in this case, the lime juice helps wake up and brighten all the flavors in the stew.

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FAQ

Can I cook on high heat?

When using the slow cooker, I like to use the low setting whenever possible. The reason for this is that some slow cookers cook quite hot, and on high, they can vigorously boil and overcook the ingredients.

With that being said, you can try cooking on high heat for 4-5 hours; check to ensure the sweet potatoes and onions are softened and quinoa is cooked through.

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

Yes, this recipe works well cooked in the Instant Pot. Here are a few tips for Instant Pot success:
-reduce the quinoa to ½ cup
-cook for 8 minutes at high pressure
-allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release
-a 6 quart Instant Pot was quite full; it might be better cooked in an 8 quart

Can I freeze this recipe?

Yes, you can freeze it before or after cooking. See "meal prep + storage" for specific directions.

What goes well with quinoa sweet potato stew?

Some ideas include: shredded cheese, yogurt or coconut yogurt, tortilla chips or strips, cilantro or green onions, avocado, bread or crackers.

Sweet potato stew in slow cooker with a ladle after cooking

Serving size + equipment

This recipe should be cooked in a larger slow cooker- 5 or 6 quarts. If you are looking to cut the recipe in half, you'll need to cook in a 2.5 or smaller slow cooker.

my favorite 6 quart slow cooker
cook a half batch in this 2.5 quart slow cooker
here are the 6 quart Instant Pot and 8 quart Instant Pot models that I own

Black bean, quinoa and sweet potato stew in blue bowl with a chunk of bread next to it

Meal prep + storage

This is a great recipe for meal prep. Here are tips for safely storing and heating this stew:

Cook ahead

After cooking the stew through according to the recipe card directions, allow it to cool completely.

fridge- portion out into meal prep containers or store in one larger container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
freezer- portion out into glass or plastic freezer jars. Leave ¼ of the jar empty to account for expansion, and leave lids off until fully frozen. Freeze for up to 3 months.
thaw- overnight in the fridge, or immerse the jar in cold water for a few hours.
reheat- heat individual portions in the microwave; heat larger portions over medium heat in a pot on the stove until steaming hot.

Crockpot freezer meal

A crock pot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. This way, when it’s time to cook, you simply dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and skip any measuring. This is a great recipe to prepare for someone who is expecting a baby.

Here’s how you can turn this recipe into a freezer meal:

Assemble all ingredients (except for the quinoa) in a gallon-sized freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or meal prep container.
Squeeze out as much air as possible.
Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
Thaw completely, dump into the slow cooker, stir in the quinoa, and cook.

Find my favorite freezer containers here!

More healthy crock pot meals

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.