Description
A delicious and nutritious recipe for stuffed sweet potatoes filled with a savory chickpea, spinach, and sundried tomato mixture, topped with a refreshing avocado crema. Perfect as a wholesome vegetarian main course or a hearty side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 small to medium sweet potatoes, washed, scrubbed clean, and dried
- Extra virgin olive oil (for roasting and cooking)
Chickpea Filling
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 3 cups baby spinach
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
Toppings
- Avocado Crema, to serve (see homemade avocado crema recipe)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare sweet potatoes. Position an oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 400°F (204°C). Using a fork, poke holes all over the sweet potatoes to allow steam to escape during roasting. Line a sheet pan with foil and arrange the sweet potatoes on top.
- Roast sweet potatoes. Bake the sweet potatoes on the middle oven rack for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are fork tender and cooked through.
- Prepare the chickpea filling. While the sweet potatoes roast, heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped shallots and sauté for about 3 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the drained chickpeas and chopped sun dried tomatoes, cooking for around 10 minutes until the chickpeas are tender and warmed through.
- Add spinach and season. Add the baby spinach to the skillet along with a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the mixture just until the spinach wilts. Finish the filling by stirring in the fresh lime juice, then remove the skillet from heat.
- Stuff the sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are done roasting, remove them from the oven and slice each one partway through the center, leaving the bottom intact so they hold together. Gently open each sweet potato and stuff with spoonfuls of the warm chickpea mixture, filling the cavities completely.
- Garnish and serve. Top each stuffed sweet potato with a generous dollop of avocado crema. Sprinkle the chopped fresh cilantro or parsley and lime zest on top for freshness and color. Serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- You can substitute fresh parsley if you don’t have cilantro on hand.
- Roasting time may vary depending on the size of the sweet potatoes; check for tenderness with a fork.
- For added protein, consider mixing in cooked quinoa or bulgur wheat with the chickpea filling.
- Avocado crema can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
