Simple Sweet Potato Recipes
Table of Contents
This post is all about sweet potatoes, and I have some delicious vegan sweet potato recipes! When I lived on the eastern side of North Carolina, I discovered that our state is the largest sweet potato producer in the country!
There are quite a few towns in Eastern North Carolina that now have their sweet potato festival to pay homage to this humble root vegetable! When I lived over by Raleigh, one of the first and largest festivals was the Ham and Yam Festival in Smithfield, NC.
It’s time to start living the sweet potato life. Let me share the reasons!
Several Sweet Potato Varieties
There are a lot of different kinds of sweet potatoes that I did not even know existed. To make my vegan sweet potato recipes for this post, I used two orange-flesh potatoes.
- The Covington is a North Carolina sweet potato variety that becomes sweet and caramelizes when it is baked, so it is great in desserts and even side dishes. It is orange on the outside as well as inside.
- The Garnet is a dark red on the outside but bright orange on the inside. It is not only sweet on the inside, but it is dense and moist like a pumpkin, so it is ideal for desserts and baked goods where you use pumpkin
- I used two yellow flesh sweet potatoes in my recipes. These were new to me using so it was fun to learn about them. The Boniato or Star Leaf has Latin/Caribbean roots and can be used for pizza toppings, taco filling, soups, stews, or even desserts. It reminded me of a plantain.
- The other one that was yellow inside was a Japanese sweet potato. By looking a the purplish red skin, you would never know that it would have a dryer, yellow inside. It may remind some people a little of a chestnut.
- If you want to learn more about types of sweet potatoes, here is a great description of some of them. Not all of the ones that I used are in this primer from the Saveur Website.
What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?
There is considerable confusion about the distinction between sweet potatoes and yams. I love the explanation in the post below from the NC Sweet Potato Commission. Their website also features many wonderful recipes, perfect for those looking for new ways to prepare them.
https://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/sweet-potatoes-101/difference-between-yam-and-sweet-potato/
Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and C. Here are the recipes that I put together that I hope that you enjoy as much as I and my family do! They are in the same family as the morning glory, and they are a tuberous root vegetable.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Women
In addition to the different ways that you can prepare sweet potatoes and the number of varieties of sweet potatoes available, sweet potatoes are full of nutritional value. Let’s talk about some of the benefits of sweet potatoes for women.
- Does sweet potato have fiber?
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. They are also high in resistant fiber, which is great for gut health. - Nutrition in one sweet potato includes a precursor to vitamin A called beta carotene, which is also a powerful antioxidant. It also contains vitamin C, B6, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.
- In addition to the beneficial plant chemical beta-carotene, sweet potatoes also have chlorogenic acid and anthocyanins, which are important to health.
- Sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index than regular potatoes, so they are less likely to lead to fluctuations in blood sugar.
Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes and Meal Ideas
If you are looking for some vegan sweet potato recipes, I have a soup, salad, and dessert ready for you to make. They are easy to make and quite tasty!
Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes
If you are looking for some vegan sweet potato recipes, I hope that you love this recipe collection using a variety of sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Thai Soup
I love the fresh taste of the cilantro and lime juice with the sweet potatoes and other vegetables, along with the spices to make this sweet potato and carrot soup. Chickpeas add a boost of protein to the veggies.
4-6 servings
1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil
3-4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch squares
1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on the heat desired)
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1-15 1/2 ounce coconut milk
1-15 1/2 ounce diced tomatoes
1-15 1/2 ounce rinsed and drained garbanzo beans
4 cups stemmed and chopped kale or your choice of fall greens
1 freshly squeezed lime
Chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts for garnish
Serve over rice if desired
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and sauté sweet potatoes and carrots until they are starting to soften. Add bell pepper and allow it to soften, and throw in green onion. Add spices and allow to cook for a minute or two.
Add coconut milk, beans, and tomatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes and then add kale until it cooks slightly. Allow soup to simmer another 5 minutes. Add rice to the bottom of the bowl if desired and serve up the soup over it. Add cilantro and peanut garnish if desired.
Everyone will love this sweet potato soup recipe, and it makes a great low FODMAP dinner recipe!
Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
This kale and roasted sweet potato salad is one of my fall favorites! It is colorful and full of flavor! I have another delicious variation in my book, Farm Fresh Nutrition.
6-8 servings
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 by 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
6 cups of kale, sprinkled with salt and a drizzle of olive oil & massaged gently for 5 minutes
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
(1 ounce Parmesan cheese grated if desired)
Homemade balsamic salad dressing (this dressing is delicious on both the kale and beet salad from the previous blog post)
In a large salad bowl, prepare the kale. To roast sweet potato cubes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, add sweet potatoes and salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for around 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown and caramelize. Take out of the oven and let cool. Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the prepared kale along with the walnuts and cranberries. Toss lightly with the balsamic dressing and toss with grated cheese if desired.
Vegan Sweet Potato Recipe for Sweet Potato Pie
Chocolate Pecan Sweet Potato Mini Pies
Are you looking for a candied sweet potato idea? Try a mini vegan sweet potato casserole pie for dessert! I have added coconut and candied ginger for a new twist modern twist to an old favorite. This sweet potato pudding makes a great fall or even Thanksgiving celebration dessert! Makes 4 small ramekins.
Makes 4 small ramekins
2 cups mashed baked sweet potatoes with skins removed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Topping
Sweetened vegan dark chocolate bar (about 84 grams)
1/2 tablespoon chilled vegan margarine (depending on your preference) or butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 whole pecans
Combine sweet potatoes with maple syrup and salt. Spoon sweet potato mixture into 4 small white ramekins that have been lightly greased. For topping, melt the chocolate bar on low with the vegan margarine and stir in the pecans. Gently spread the chocolate pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes. Decorate each ramekin with a whole pecan on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 5-10 minutes to just set the sweet potato mixture with the chocolate and toast the pecans. After cooled, add a little dollop of whipped cream as a garnish.
Here is another slight variation of the individual easy sweet potato casserole with coconut below, along with some of my favorite ways to eat them:
Also, a tasty black bean and sweet potato burrito or other yummy sweet potato breakfast idea!
These Blacked Salmon Tacos with Sweet Potato, Corn, Kale & Black Beans is not a vegan recipe but it can be adapted by leaving off the salmon and adding vegan cheese:
These sweet potato fritters made with cauliflower, sweet potato, and kale are delicious and even more so with the Avocado Tahini topping!
Winter squash and sweet potatoes can often be interchangeable; try sweet potatoes in some of these recipes also!
Try These Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes
I hope that this post provides just the recipes and information that you need to add some vegan sweet potato recipes to your weekly menu. One, they are delicious, nutritious, and economical, which is a winning combination! As a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Asheville, NC, I enjoy sharing delicious recipes and menu ideas to help you stay healthy and have something that you will enjoy eating! Check out more recipes on the Vine Ripe Nutrition blog!
I am a registered dietitian who helps women in midlife feel their best. You can find more about some of the ways that I can help here. You can sign up for my free course on fighting inflammation at the top of any of my blog posts or at my homepage!
Check out my video below where I make some of these tasty recipe ideas!
