Vegan Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
I love a recipe that can be made in parts and comes together quickly when you want to eat it. These vegan stuffed sweet potatoes are perfect for meal prepping. Cook the lentils, make the sauce over the weekend and bake the sweet potato on the day you plan to eat it. Assemble it and enjoy. This recipe is from Hetty Mckinnon's Family Cookbook. This book is one of my most-used cookbook, it has a special place on my counter.
About Family Cookbook
Hetty talks about the influence her mother's food has had on her cooking. She delves into her Asian roots to create vegetable-centric dishes that work as mains and not just as a sideshow. Her approach to food resonated with me and made me think about my own approach to cooking. I am deeply influenced by my mother's kitchen, she always found the right balance of health and indulgence. The food I make for my family is far more multicultural than the one I grew up with. I seek inspiration from the cities I have lived in, from my friends, and from the internet at large. Ultimately though, I also seek to achieve the same balance in my meals like my mother did.
This recipe for lentil stuffed sweet potatoes is great for a weeknight since it comes together in 30 minutes with just a few ingredients (but you can also meal prep this quite easily). While the sweet potato bakes, simply cook the lentils and mix them with olives and toasted pumpkin seeds and blend the ingredients for the Chile-Cilantro sauce.
Why this recipe for vegan stuffed sweet potatoes works?
The salty-sweet combination of olives and sweet potato is quite irresistible. I think it is the Chile-Cilantro sauce that makes this recipe. it is fantastic. The recipe below makes quite a bit of sauce, that I was happy to slather or pour on everything from toasts to bowls. Store the excess sauce in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Make it Vegetarian - The recipe is vegan but I suspect some pan-fried halloumi cheese will be fantastic with the creamy sweet potatoes and hearty olive lentil mixture.
Lentil Swaps - The original recipe uses black or puy lentils but I have used green lentils and it works. The idea is to have some hearty lentils that hold their shape after cooking.
Vegan Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chile-Cilantro Sauce
These Vegan Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are adapted from Hetty McKinnon’s Family cookbook - and they’re such a good weeknight option. Tender roasted sweet potatoes are filled with lentils, olives, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds, then finished with a punchy chile-cilantro sauce that’s bright, spicy, and totally addictive. Ready in about 30 minutes and easy to make ahead.
Ingredients
- 4 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (100 g) black or green lentils, rinsed
- ½ cup (100 g) green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- Handful of fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
- Sea salt and black pepper
- ½ cup habanero chile, seeded and roughly chopped
- (Jalapeños work well for a milder version)
- ½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch cilantro
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Place whole sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, cook the lentils. Add lentils to a pot, cover with plenty of water, and bring to a boil. Add two big pinches of salt, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes, until just soft. Drain well.
- Place cooked lentils in a bowl. Add chopped olives, a few cilantro leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix gently.
- Make the chile-cilantro sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine chile, olive oil, cilantro, lemon juice, and garlic. Blend until very smooth. Season with salt and adjust lemon to taste.
- Once the sweet potatoes are roasted, slice each one down the center. Use a fork to gently push the flesh aside and create a well.
- Fill with the lentil-olive mixture. Drizzle generously with chile-cilantro sauce and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and extra cilantro.
Notes
- To save time, use canned lentils - just drain and rinse.
- Sweet potatoes can be roasted at any temperature, so cook them alongside other dishes.
- Roasted sweet potatoes keep well in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat at 350°F for 5–7 minutes.
- For a milder sauce, use jalapeños instead of habaneros.
