These vegan stuffed sweet potatoes feature a delicious Mediterranean quinoa filling and a creamy olive hummus dressing. They’re made with simple ingredients and are super filling!
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Stuffed vegetables are always a great vegan main dish.
On this blog you’ll find recipes for meaty vegan stuffed zucchini, Moroccan-spiced vegan stuffed squash and even vegan taco stuffed tomatoes.
But one of my favourite vegetables to stuff are sweet potatoes!
They’re so tasty and combine well with any number of different fillings, as well as being the cornerstone of The Starch Solution diet (i.e. the healthiest vegan diet).
For this recipe I went super simple with a filling inspired by Mediterranean flavours and hearty, protein-rich quinoa.
Ingredients for Mediterranean quinoa
“Mediterranean” can mean a lot of things but for me it means using simple ingredients and letting their flavour shine through without over complicating it.
- Artichoke hearts are my favourite Mediterranean ingredient. I like marinated ones but you can use water-packed if you prefer less oil.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are great for adding umami and texture to any vegan dish. You could also use rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes if you’re making this oil free.
- Chickpeas are added to bulk the filling up a bit.
- Parsley for flavour. Mediterranean recipes usually call for just one herb so as not to muddy up the flavour with a mix of herbs. You could choose basil or oregano if you prefer.
- Quinoa is the base of this filling. I use an exact ratio of water to quinoa so that it doesn’t come out pasty (see below).
- Black olives (optional) are also delicious in this filling and you can add them if you don’t have the black olive hummus that this recipe calls for.
How to cook quinoa
It took me a while to learn to enjoy quinoa but it turns out that I was cooking it wrong.
What you don’t want to do is add quinoa to a full pot of boiling water. That’s the best way to end up with mushy quinoa.
I happened upon this recipe for how to cook perfect quinoa and I’ve been doing it this way ever since.
First, it’s important to rinse your quinoa to remove the soapy taste.
Then you’re going to want to use an exact measurement of water and quinoa.
For this recipe I used ½ cup quinoa and ¾ cup water.
Bring the water to the boil and add the quinoa. Cover and turn the heat down to low.
It takes about 10 - 15 minutes for the quinoa to cook until tender. There won’t be any water left and you’ll have perfectly fluffy quinoa!
How to bake sweet potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and prick them with a fork several times.
A lot of recipe will call for lining the baking sheet with parchment paper as the sweet potatoes will ooze, but let’s not create unnecessary garbage, it’s easy to clean with soap and water.
Bake sweet potatoes for 45 - 60 minutes or until cooked through.
How to microwave sweet potatoes
Baking sweet potatoes takes a long time so you can microwave them instead. They won’t come out as caramelized and sweet as baking but it’s a great shortcut when you’re hangry.
If you’re making four you may need to nuke them two at a time if they don’t all fit together.
Again, pierce them several times with a fork and place on a microwave-safe dish.
Microwave them on high for 5 minutes. Then flip them and cook for another 5 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a knife.
How to make vegan stuffed sweet potatoes
So while your sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare your Mediterranean quinoa filling.
Cook the quinoa according to the ratio of quinoa to water indicated above.
Transfer it to a bowl and toss in some chopped artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley, salt and pepper.
Mix it all up and that’s it!
Now prepare the sauce. It’s a super simple dressing made from hummus, garlic, lemon juice and a splash of water to thin it to a pourable consistency.
I used black olive hummus but feel free to use plain or your favourite flavour. Roasted garlic hummus would be nice!
Just combine everything and stir to together.
When your sweet potatoes are cooked, let them cool for a few minutes before slicing them open. Stuff them with the filling and drizzle over some hummus sauce.
Meal prep this recipe
This recipe is great for meal prep because the filling doesn’t have any added oil and it keeps well in the fridge.
You can either store each component in a separate airtight container in the fridge or pre-stuff your sweet potatoes and store them ready to go.
I’d recommend storing the sauce separately until after you’ve reheated your dish.
Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
What to serve with stuffed sweet potatoes
I like to serve my vegan stuffed sweet potatoes with a green salad.
You could also serve them alongside your favourite steamed or sauteed veggie such as broccoli, asparagus or spinach.
Crusty bread or garlic bread are another simple side dish option.
Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean
- ½ cup (115 grams) quinoa
- ¾ cup (175 ml ) water
- ½ cup (95 grams) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup (65 grams) chopped artichoke hearts marinated or water-packed
- ¼ cup (50 grams) chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper
For the sauce
- 4 tablespoons black olive hummus can sub any flavour of hummus
- 1 small clove of garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water or as needed
- Pinch of salt if needed
Instructions
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce all over with a fork. Place in the oven at 400 F / 200 C (no need to preheat the oven, just put ‘em in and turn it on). Bake until they can be easily pierced with a knife - 45 to 60 minutes.
- When the sweet potatoes are about 20 minutes from finishing, prepare the filling.
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. Bring the water to the boil, add the quinoa, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and toss with the chickpeas, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl combine the hummus, garlic, lemon juice and water. If it’s a bit thick, add a splash more of water. Taste and add a pinch of salt only if you think it’s necessary.
- Allow the baked sweet potatoes to cool for a few minutes before slicing them open. Fill with the quinoa mixture and drizzle over the hummus sauce.
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