Sweet potato is a vegetable that offers a number of benefits. Not only is this superfood easy to cook and make, but it's also incredibly delicious. Its versatile taste makes it the perfect nutritious ingredient to add to just about anything. Plus, it can be used as a binding agent in many vegan recipes and acts as an excellent meat substitute.A creamy, vitamin A powerhouse, the sweet potato is most popular in the colder months of autumn. And for a good reason, as this is when it's naturally harvested. While sweet potatoes may be available year-round, you'll likely notice that the prices drop and the size increases in fall. While cooking with sweet potatoes may be more prevalent in the fall, we believe that this vegetable is still far underutilized. If you've found yourself walking past a bunch of sweet potatoes at the market and wondering what to cook with them, now is the time to learn! Continue reading to revisit this delicious fall vegetable and all that it has to offer. This list of delicious dinner recipes with sweet potatoes will make you wonder why you didn't incorporate them into your seasonal dishes sooner.Explore sweet potatoes as a savory meal, or turn them into a sweet dish that will satisfy all of your cravings at once. The many different ways to cook a sweet potato are endless!
Yam vs. Sweet Potato
The first step to choosing the perfect sweet potato dinner is selecting the ideal sweet potato. While you may think you know what to look for, the truth is many individuals find it hard to tell the difference between a sweet potato and yam. Though similar in taste, look and texture, sweet potatoes and true yams are two different vegetables and should be treated as such.The truth is, you've probably never tasted a true yam as they are not often found in grocery stores. In fact, because sweet potatoes come in many varieties, the orange-ish variety of sweet potato is often mislabeled as yam. Real yams have a much more dry and starchy flesh resembling that of the yucca plant. It's rough, scaly and low in beta carotene.On the other hand, sweet potatoes display an outer flesh that can vary in color ranging from orange to purple. The most popular variety of sweet potato featuring an orange flesh was introduced into the United States several decades ago and is commonly mislabeled as a yam. The other common type of sweet potato is a much lighter yellow flesh that is a bit milder in taste and often labeled as a sweet potato.When discussing the recipes below, any variety of sweet potato will work, and ultimately the type you choose will depend on your taste preferences. If you're creating a sweet dish, we'd recommend going for a dark-colored potato like the deep orange variety. Conversely, if you're seeking a more subtle flavor, a lighter type of sweet potato will work better.
Delicious Sweet Potato Dinner Recipes
Sweet potatoes make for the perfect veggie-based dinner. Loaded with nutrients and flavor, they're the ideal vegetable to add to just about any meal. Begin incorporating more sweet potato dishes into your weekly menu by making one of these recipes below.
Curried Lentil Sweet Potato Stew
Searching for a light dinner that will satisfy everyone at the table? You've found it. This curried lentil sweet potato stew is the ideal dinner dish to make for guests with food allergies. Gluten free and vegan, it uses a variety of wholesome ingredients to create an unforgettable dish. Warm up with a large bowl of this stew on a chilly autumn night, or enjoy it accompanied with a refreshing salad. No matter how you choose to enjoy this Curried Lentil Sweet Potato Stew, we're confident it will be delicious.
Sweet Potato Adzuki Bean Soup
We love the fall season! It's a time spent surrounded by festivity and fun, and while all of the seasonal events can be quite entertaining, they may also leave you feeling a bit tired. If your calendar is booked throughout fall, and you're struggling to find time in between events to make a healthy meal, we have just the solution. This one-pot Sweet Potato Adzuki Bean Soup is the perfect dinner to make if you're in a crunch for time. Made on the stove top or in a multi cooker, this stew can be made in large batches and frozen to reheat throughout the week. Sweet potato, adzuki beans and miso are used in this recipe to create a savory soup that is not only filling but is great for you too!
Granola Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Tahini Butter
Do you ever feel like skipping dinner altogether and just eating dessert? When chosen correctly, a sweet dinner dish can work to satisfy both your sweet and savory cravings. Additionally, when made with the right ingredients, that dish can even be healthy! To prove dessert doesn't have to wait, we whipped up these delicious Granola Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Tahini Butter. Not only is this dish incredibly flavorful, but it's also great for you. Made with superfoods like Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Regular Rolled Oats and sweet potatoes, this dish is overflowing with vitamins and antioxidants essential to your health. Blanketed in a delicious maple tahini butter, it's the perfect meal to curb your sugar cravings.
Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Buckwheat Grain Bowl
The ultimate seasonal dinner dish? A grain bowl, of course. Growing in popularity, grain bowls have become the new salad. Not only are they loaded with greens and veggies, but they also contain good-for-you grains that your taste buds and body will rejoice over. This gorgeous and multicolored Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Buckwheat Grain Bowl is a mix of flavorful, healthy ingredients that will leave you feeling energized and strong. In this grain bowl, nutty buckwheat is topped with Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, red onion, beets, rainbow chard and fresh avocado to create a plate that is out-of-this-world delicious. For a boost of protein, roasted salmon is added and topped with lemon juice, tahini, and pumpkin seeds creating the ideal flavor and texture. The perfect dinner to make if you're searching for taste and sticking to a healthy diet, we are sure that you won't be disappointed.
Sesame Ginger Whole Grain Yam Roll
Looking to spice up your dinner menu this season? Try making these delicious Sesame Ginger Whole Grain Yam Rolls. An easy dinner activity for everyone to join in on, making these dinner rolls is half the fun! Loaded with naturally-delicious flavors, protein and healthy fats, these yam rolls pack a nutritious punch. To boost this dish's flavor even more, we suggest boiling the grains in water mixed with fresh ginger. While the recipe calls for roasted sweet potatoes, if you prefer your sweet potatoes boiled or mashed, try it out! As long as your sweet potato can be rolled up, it's bound to be a success. Additionally, if making sushi rolls isn't your thing, take this recipe and turn it into a lettuce wrap dish instead! An excellent way to incorporate more greens into your diet, the sweet potato filling tastes delicious when paired with crunchy lettuce and grains.
Vegan Quinoa Chili
A filling, warm and delicious dinner dish, sounds like the ideal fall meal to us! To change up your mealtime this season and create a healthy, satisfying meal that everyone in your household will enjoy, start by making this Vegan Quinoa Chili. The perfect way to step up your chili game, this dish is loaded with sweet potatoes and cocoa to give it a seasonal punch. Easy to make, it's the perfect dish to whip up if you're cooking for a small group or get-together.Luckily, this star fall staple is both nutritious and incredibly delicious when added to meals. While sweet potatoes are commonly available year-round, it's important to remember that they grow best in the warmer months, meaning that they're ready for harvest in the fall and winter. By adding sweet potatoes to your dinner recipes or creating an entire meal centered around them, you can ensure that you'll prepare a gut-friendly dish that everyone will love.Have a favorite sweet potato dinner recipe of your own? We'd love to hear about it. Let us know your top dinners with sweet potatoes in the comments below. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, Happy Holidays!