Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potato

I love sweet potatoes. Always have and always will. Being on a plant based diet, I have them for dinner at least twice a week.

One of my favorite ways to make sweet potato is to bake it and stuff with some veggies. After completing the 22-day Revolution program, I still follow it pretty closely and a lot my recipes and a huge part of my diet are actually inspired by this book. One of my favorite recipes from the book is without a doubt, the Spanish Beans Over Sweet Potato and today’s post is inspired by that very recipe.

This is a perfect idea for a healthy, meat-less dinner (even my meat-loving hubs loves it). It’s rich and hearty, full of antioxidants, fiber, protein and.. flavor! It’s also simple and easy to make, it’s very filling and very comforting. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s also completely plant-based, which makes it a perfect dish for my (mostly) vegan diet.

Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potato (2 servings)

-2 organic sweet potatoes
-2 cups of black beans
-1 small onion, chopped
-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
-salt, to taste
-pepper, to taste
-3 TBS balsamic vinegar
-1 cup of water
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp chili powder
-1 tsp paprika
-1/2 avocado, diced
-1 large tomato, diced
-handful of chopped walnuts
-chives, for garnish
-crushed red pepper, for garnish
-5 cups of water

1. Soak the beans overnight, drain and rinse (if using canned beans, just drain and rinse).
2. Preheat the oven to 425F. Scrub your potatoes under running water and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Using a fork, poke a few holes in your potatoes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Place your potatoes in the oven for about 30 minutes, then flip them over and bake for 20 more minutes or until they’re done.
5. While the potatoes are baking, sauté the onions and garlic in a little coconut oil until they become fragrant.
6. Add water, beans, cumin, paprika and chili powder to onion and garlic, bring to boil and simmer for about 45 minutes (if using canned beans you won’t have to cook them, so skip the water, add beans to onion and heat them up).
7. When beans are soft and tender, add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and remove from heat.
8. When the potatoes are done, let them cool off a bit, then using a fork create a dotted line from end to end, then crack the potato open by squeezing the ends toward one another slowly.
9. Top each tomato with beans and onions, some avocado, tomato, chives and sprinkle with some crushed red pepper.