I haven’t really been quite the fan of sweet potatoes growing up, and these veggies have never been a hit in my house. However, once I read about their nutritional value and started incorporating them into everyday meals, now I cannot imagine not having at least one sweet potato in my fridge.

Sweet potatoes are super health and nutritious food and there are millions of ways you can cook them, but this one is one of my favorite sweet potato recipe, it’s insanely delicious!

Baked sweet potatoes + chickpeas + veggies + a delicious creamy tahini dressing = EPIC lunch/dinner or side recipe!

Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 sweet potatoes, medium size
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (spice)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (spice)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• olive oil or oil of choice (for cooking)
• A few sprigs of parsley
• Sesame for decoration

Creamy tahini dressing:

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• juice of half a lemon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• water, if necessary

Method of preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 420º F and prepare a baking sheet.
2. Thoroughly wash all potatoes and remove any dirt, as they will be served with the crust.
3. Wipe with a cloth to soak up as much water as possible and poke several times on all sides with a fork or sharp object.
4. Place on a baking sheet and grease with a little oil.
5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. They are ready when they are soft enough and can be easily pierced with a fork.
6. Meanwhile, while the potatoes are roasting, add a little oil to the pan and let it heat.
7. Pour the water from the  can of chickpeas and rinse the chickpeas with clean, cold water.
8. Add the chickpeas to the pan with oil and add the spices.
9. Leave to fry for about 7-8 minutes. The chickpeas should get a golden color and a crunchy crust. Leave the pan with the chickpeas to cool a bit and add the chopped parsley
10. When the potatoes are baked and cool enough to be touched, cut them into two equal halves, vertically.
11. Cut each half of the sweet potato in half and make room to add the chickpea mixture. It is evenly distributed in all halves
12. For the dressing, add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is combined. Add water as needed until the desired texture is obtained.
13. Add the dressing to the sweet potatoes and add a little sesame if desired.

NOTES:

→ If not consumed immediately, prepare all ingredients but store separately.

→ You can adapt the spices to your own taste and what is available to you.

→ If you need a faster meal, you can skip the chickpea frying and serve it directly from the can but I recommend if you are able to do this step because it really makes a difference.

→ You can serve them as a main meal or as a side dish with an additional piece of meat or fish.