These baked sweet potatoes are stuffed with a filling combination of crispy chickpeas, feta cheese, spinach, and avocado. Top it with my homemade tahini dressing to make a super simple meal.
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I love sweet potatoes.
They work for both sweet and savory recipes (sweet potato brownies, anyone??) and they're SO good for you! They contain lots of fiber and minerals as well as vitamins A, B, and C.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy sweet potatoes is to make them into a meal of their own. We've enjoyed vegan stuffed sweet potatoes before, as well as breakfast stuffed sweet potatoes.
Now I'm giving you another option, filled with some of my favorite veggies, dressing, and chili crisp. This recipe is super easy to make and can handle a lot of variations.
The sweet potatoes roast in the oven at the same time as the seasoned chickpeas. The spinach cooks quickly in the last few minutes in the oven and you can prepare the dressing while things are cooking.
I really think the chili crisp brings it all together, and isn't even as spicy as it sounds if you're using Lao Gan Ma brand like I do. It just adds this incredibly deep, savory umami flavor.
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Canned chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Baby spinach
- Avocado
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Chili crisp, optional
For the Tahini Dressing
- Tahini
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Pure maple syrup
- Garlic
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make vegetarian stuffed sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wrap each of the sweet potatoes tightly in aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until tender when gently squeezed or pierced with a fork.
- After the sweet potatoes have been in the oven for about 35 minutes, place the chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during this time. Prepare the dressing while everything is cooking.
- During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach to the chickpeas in an even layer, and toss to coat in the existing oil. When done, the chickpeas should be crispy and the spinach should be wilted.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the foil and place each one on a plate. Cut a slit down the middle and open it up. Use a fork to fluff up the sweet potato flesh.
- Divide the spinach, chickpeas, avocado, feta, and chili crisp between the two sweet potatoes and top with your desired amount of tahini dressing.
How to make Tahini Dressing
- Place all dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, close the lid tightly, and shake until combined.
Top tips
Try your sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot
Sweet potatoes bake in a fraction of the time in a pressure cooker compared to a regular oven. To get started, place the steamer rack in your instant pot and add one cup of water.
Next, place the sweet potato on the rack and seal the lid, keeping the release valve in the closed position. Set the pressure cooker to manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
Once the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for ten minutes. Turn the release valve to release any leftover pressure, and remove the sweet potatoes and proceed with the recipe.
Use feta packed in brine
Any feta will work in this recipe, but I especially love feta that comes packed in brine. It has so much more moisture and stays fresher longer, which helps your money go farther.
I usually drain off just enough brine from the package to make it easier to work with while still keeping the cheese submerged, then use a fork to break out however much I want to use.
Make the dressing in a mason jar
I always use a small mason jar to shake up my dressings, which makes it quick and easy. Just add all your ingredients to the jar, close it tightly, and shake until combined. Alternatively, you could whisk everything together in a small bowl.
How to store stuffed sweet potatoes
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave. The chickpeas will lose their crispiness in the refrigerator, so if you want them to be crispy again, store them separately and reheat in the oven until crisp.
Tips for customizing vegetarian stuffed sweet potatoes
- Add cooked quinoa, rice, barley, or your other favorite grain
- Swap the chili crisp for your favorite hot sauce
- Swap the spinach for another leafy green such as kale, arugula, or shaved brussels sprouts
- Use my ginger tahini dressing or your favorite store bought dressing in place of the tahini dressing listed here
- Leave out the feta to make it vegan
FAQ
Chili crisp is a type of hot sauce, with fried bits of chili pepper in oil. Occasionally it will also be made with garlic, soybeans, and other ingredients. You can find it in the international aisle of the grocery store, near the soy sauce and sriracha.
Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, and resembles a nut butter. It can be found in several locations in the grocery store, including the international aisle as well as the natural and organic nut butter section.
More vegetarian main dishes
- Mediterranean Eggs
- Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Mushroom Alfredo
- Crispy Peanut Pan Fried Tofu
- Cajun Chickpea Wraps
- Penne alla Vecchia Bettola
- Vegetarian Boursin Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Alfredo Pizza with Broccoli
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and lightly dried on a towel
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp, optional
Tahini Dressing
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wrap each of the sweet potatoes tightly in aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until tender when gently squeezed or pierced with a fork.
- After the sweet potatoes have been in the oven for about 35 minutes, place the chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during this time. Prepare the dressing while everything is cooking.
- During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach to the chickpeas in an even layer, and toss to coat in the existing oil. When done, the chickpeas should be crispy and the spinach should be wilted.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the foil and place each one on a plate. Cut a slit down the middle and open it up. Use a fork to fluff up the sweet potato flesh.
- Divide the spinach, chickpeas, avocado, feta, and chili crisp between the two sweet potatoes and top with your desired amount of tahini dressing.
Tahini Dressing
- Place all dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, close the lid tightly, and shake until combined.
- Drizzle dressing over the stuffed sweet potatoes. You may not need all of the dressing.
Notes
Tips for customizing vegetarian stuffed sweet potatoes
- Add cooked quinoa, rice, barley, or your other favorite grain
- Swap the chili crisp for your favorite hot sauce
- Swap the spinach for another leafy green such as kale, arugula, or shaved brussels sprouts
- Use my ginger tahini dressing or your favorite store bought dressing in place of the tahini dressing listed here
- Leave out the feta to make it vegan
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