Looking for a new healthy dinner idea? Look no further than this Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato! It's filled up with a smoky black bean "meat" for a delicious plant-based meal.
If you are a fan of sweet potatoes, you have to make this recipe! It's packed full of flavor - sweet from the potato and the corn, smoky from the black beans and the tomato paste, and spicy from the addition of red pepper flakes.
I enjoy a stuffed sweet potato for dinner quite often, because it's hearty and filling, and so versatile. You can stuff it with literally anything! This recipe makes three servings in total, which means you can save the rest and serve it for lunch the next day.
Ingredients You Need
- Sweet potatoes. You will need three medium sweet potatoes for this recipe.
- Black beans. Either cooked from scratch or canned. Rinsed and drained.
- Walnuts. For texture and nutty flavor. You can also omit them if you have a nut allergy.
- White onion. For flavor!
- Red bell pepper. For some extra veggies!
- Canned tomatoes. We use chopped canned tomatoes, but whole tomatoes can work as well.
- Spices: smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, onion powder, fennel seeds, salt.
- Tomato paste. Brings umami flavor to this dish.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. They give a chewy texture and a deep, salty flavor.
- Molasses. Gives a smoky and umami flavor.
- Corn. Either fresh, canned, or frozen corn can work well here.
- Olive oil. Or any kind of oil, for cooking.
How to Make a Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potato
Start by roasting your sweet potatoes first, because this will take some time. Wash and scrub your sweet potatoes under cold water. Then, place them on a baking pan. Use a fork to poke holes in the skin and bake for about an hour or until soft.
Meanwhile, start preparing the black bean filling.
Add walnuts to a blender and blend for 30 seconds or until flour is formed (it's okay if there are a few bigger pieces). You can also chop them really small if you don't have a blender.
Next, heat a cast-iron skillet or frying rimmed pan. Once hot, add the walnut flour and toss for 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the pan.
Continue by heating some olive oil and add the onion and red bell pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until caramelized. Then, add the spices and tomato paste. Stir and let them cook for 1-2 minutes.
At this time, add black beans, canned tomatoes, water, toasted walnut flour, sun-dried tomatoes, molasses, salt, and corn. Simmer for 10 minutes or until no liquid remains.
Lastly, stir in the spinach and let it cook for 2-3 minutes or until it's soft.
Cut open the sweet potatoes in the middle and fill them up with the black bean mixture. We cannot skip the toppings on any stuffed sweet potato! Our go-to's are homemade guacamole, alongside some sunflower cream cheese!
Can you freeze a stuffed sweet potato?
Yes, you can! This stuffed sweet potato recipe is perfect for freezing because the potatoes can last for up to 3 months in the freezer! For best results, we recommend you freeze the potato and the filling separately.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Once leftovers are completely cool, save them in separate containers for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Once the sweet potatoes are completely cool, wrap them in parchment paper and transfer them to a bag. Freeze the potatoes for up to 3 months. Add the black bean mixture to a container and freeze for up to 1 month.
How to Re-heat
If your leftovers are frozen, let them thaw for at least a couple of hours or overnight before serving.
Oven: Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lay sweet potatoes on a baking pan and cook for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
Stovetop: To a pan, add a drizzle of oil or a splash of water. Once hot, add the black bean mixture and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Microwave: Add sweet potato on a plate and top with the black bean mixture. Microwave for 2 minutes or until hot.
My Best Tips
- Use sweet potatoes of similar size. This will ensure that they will cook evenly.
- Cook your sweet potatoes in advance. This recipe can be made pretty fast if you roast your sweet potatoes in advance. The black bean "meat" takes less than 30 minutes to prepare!
- If you are allergic to nuts, skip the walnuts. While they do play a role in the texture and the flavor, it's totally okay to omit them if needed.
More Vegan Dinner Recipes
Lentil Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Stuffed Sweet Potato with Black Bean Taco Meat
Equipment
- Oven
- Cast iron skillet or a rimmed frying pan
- Blender (optional)
Ingredients
For the sweet potato
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil or any oil you like
For the black bean "meat"
- ⅓ cup walnuts, raw
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil or any oil you like
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ cup canned tomatoes
- ⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon molasses (or sub maple syrup or brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup water or vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup corn * (either fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups spinach (optional)
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, for heat)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place potatoes on a baking pan. Use a fork to poke a few holes on them (see photo). Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 1 hour or until soft.
- Add walnuts to a blender and blend on low for 30 seconds or until they break down into "flour". If you don't have a blender, you can chop them really small. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the walnut "flour". Cook for 2-3 minutes or until it has become lightly golden. Remove from the skillet.
- Add oil, once hot, add the onion and red bell pepper and saute for 6-7 minutes or until lightly caramelized. Add tomato paste and the spices - cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili flakes (optional). Toss and let them cook for 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of water or a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking to the pan.
- Next, add walnut flour, canned tomatoes, water, sun-dried tomatoes, black beans, molasses, salt, and corn. Stir well and let it simmer for 10 minutes. You know the black bean "meat" is ready when there is no liquid left and the mixture seems crumbly.
- Add the spinach and let it cook for 3 more minutes or until soft.
- Take your potatoes out of the oven and let them cool a little. Using a knife, cut open the potatoes in the middle. Fill with the black bean mixture. Top with guacamole and vegan cream (all optional). Save leftovers in separate containers for up to 5 days.
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