A hearty, savoury stew can make my heart sing. Especially on the cooler days of the year! There’s just something so comforting in the creamy goodness of the sweet potatoes snuggling up with some chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce. I use the Middle Eastern Baharat spice mix for this dish. It has just the right amount of spiciness in my opinion, but if you want a bit more punch feel free to add extra chillies or chilli powder. Ras el hanout or Garam Masala works well too, if you can’t find Baharat where you live.

Usually I start making this stew at the first signs of fall. When the leaves start falling and the nights start to get cooler and longer. But the recipe stays with me all over the winter months until my cravings for comport food make room for fresh salads and lukewarm sandwiches. And, since Winter doesn’t seem to leave us any time soon, I thought I’d share this one with you before it’s too late.

Often stews call for a long cooking time, not this recipe! There’s only a couple of steps involved and in less than 30 minutes you have healthy, vegan dinner on the table. Perfect for #meatlessmondays or any other day of the week.

I absolutely love the mixture of spiciness and sweetness of this stew. It just strikes all the chords:

creamy
spicey
fragrant
sweet
with just the right bite

Served over a bed of cooked grains, like brown rice or whole-spelt couscous, and with some fresh pita bread, this makes a perfect weeknight dinner. Garnish with some slices of lemon, fresh parsley and vegan yoghurt.

Vegan Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew

Created by Anna on 13th Feber 2019

Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 20m
Total Time: 30m

Category: all recipes, dinner, Main dish, Plantbased, Vegan

Ingredients

1 small red onion (1 cup or 150g)
1 clove garlic
2 medium sweet potatoes (2 cups diced or 500g)
2 fresh tomatoes (1 cup diced or 225g)
1 red bell pepper (1 cup or 250g)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Baharat spice mix
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups chickpeas, pre-cooked (*see notes)
1/2 bunch tuscan or black kale (cavalo nero)
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup dried raisins (optional)
parsley, lemon and vegan yoghurt for serving

Instructions

Peel and chop onion & garlic. Prep vegetables: chop tomatoes, peel and dice sweet potatoes into 1cm cubes, remove stem and seeds from the bell pepper and cut into small cubes, wash kale and cut into stripes.
Heat olive oil in a medium pan, add onions and sauté until translucent (2-3 minutes). Add chopped garlic and Baharat spice and roast for another 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add chopped tomatoes and stir vigorously to loosen all brown parts from the bottom of the pan. Add water, sweet potatoes and salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer covered for 15mins or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender.
Optional: smash 1/3 - 1/2 of the sweet potatoes using a fork or immersion blender if you want a creamier stew.
Add bell peppers and chickpeas and stir through. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add kale and raisins (if using) and stir through.
Season with lemon juice and salt. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a slice of lemon.
Serve with your grain of choice, I love quinoa or whole-spelt couscous, fresh pita bread and a dollop of vegan yoghurt.
Notes: To pre-cook chickpeas, soak 1/2 cup dry chickpeas overnight in 2 cups cold water. Drain soaked chickpeas and place in a pot with the double amount of water. Let cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Drain and use.