Description

These baked Sweet Potatoes are topped with warm, Moroccan-spiced chickpeas, greens, and a zesty herbed yogurt sauce. Topped with toasted almonds and pomegranate seeds. A delicious healthy vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2-3 medium sweet potatoes- cut in half lengthwise, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to coat the sweet potatoes *see notes
1 shallot or 1/2 an onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cups (2 14-ounce cans) chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 teaspoons Ras el Hanout spice blend
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 cups tender greens like baby spinach, arugula, or spicy salad greens

Yogurt Sauce

1 1/2 cup plain yogurt (we used full fat) or plant-based yogurt (we love Cocojun
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon serrano chili or jalapeno chili, minced
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice (more to taste)
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves, pomegranate seeds, toasted sliced almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bake the sweet potatoes. Brush or spray olive oil on the cut side of yams, and place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Moisten the skin with water and rub with salt, the water will helps the salt stick. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender.
Make yogurt sauce. In a bowl, mix yogurt, cilantro, mint, garlic, green onions, serrano chili, smoked paprika, cumin, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. (This is great to make ahead of time.)
Make the Moroccan Chickpea Filling. In a large skillet, saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add garlic and Ras el Hanout, and pepper, saute 1-2 minutes then add chickpeas and cook a few more minutes. Stir in maple syrup and lemon juice. At this point, it may seem a little spicy, but when stuffed into the sweet potato, the flavors will mellow a bit. Turn heat off.
Fill the Sweet potatoes. When yams are tender, flip them right side up, and slit the middle gently with a knife ( season the flesh with salt and pepper,). Place a small handful of baby spinach on top, add a scoop of warm chickpea filling. Place back in a warm oven if needed until ready to serve. Spoon the yogurt sauce over top.
Serve with fresh cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and sliced almonds. Serve with the extra yogurt on the table.

Notes

This is the Seattle-based Ras el Hanout Spice Blend we carry at our store. It is lovely.

Or make this homemade version: Ras El Hanout

For coating the sweet potato skins, use a fine sea salt like fine-ground Celtic sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, or a mineral-rich salt like Baha Gold.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ½ a sweet potato with the filling
Calories: 260
Sugar: 10.6 g
Sodium: 331 mg
Fat: 5.2 g
Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
Carbohydrates: 44.3 g
Fiber: 9.7 g
Protein: 11.4 g
Cholesterol: 1.4 mg