A gluten-free, plant based meal that is out of this world! Sweet potatoes topped with a Moroccan-spiced mix of lentils, spinach & tomatoes and a Lemony Tahini Dressing. Bonus: They are easy to make, recipe makes a large quantity, can be made ahead and heat up well!
Moroccan Sweet Potatoes
Savory, Hearty and DELISH!
I first made these sweet potatoes in Spring 2018 when my friend Gena of The Full Helping published her cookbook Power Plates. (non affiliate link)
My husband and I devoured them, and they quickly became a favorite that we make often.
These Moroccan Sweet Potatoes are super easy to make, hearty and packed with savory goodness, and DELISH — as in the best savory flavor!
As an added bonus: the recipe makes a large quantity, can be made ahead and heats up well making it perfect for meal prep of any kind.
And they are really easy to make.
It’s simply baked sweet potatoes topped with a hearty mix of lentils, onions, spinach and tomatoes cooked up with lots of yummy spices like garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin and chili powder.
All topped with a yummy Lemon Tahini Dressing and lots of fresh herbs.
They are made with lots of simple, real food ingredients and the recipe (below) gives lots of options making it easy — for example you can use real tomatoes or diced canned tomatoes; fresh ginger or ground ginger.
All you need is sweet potatoes, lentils (celiac friends, see note below), tomatoes or diced canned tomatoes, onion, spinach, lemony tahini sauce (details below), and lots of pantry staple spices– garlic, ginger, cinnamon, chili powder or harissa, and paprika.
A note about lentils for Celiac Friends: Gluten-Free Watchdog has recently done more testing on lentils and cross contamination continues to be a potential issue. So WASH LENTILS BEFORE COOKING and pick through them or errant wheat and barley. For more, click here for the Gluten-Free Watchdog post.
They are easy to make.
I started by baking the sweet potatoes and cooking the lentils. While the lentils cook, I made the tahini sauce and prepped the other ingredients.
Once the lentils are cooked, they get sauteed with onion, tomatoes, spinach and all the spices. And the kitchen smells amazing and so cozy!
Then you cut the sweet potatoes in half, mash the sweet potatoes with a fork and spoon the lentil mix over them.
Finally you drizzle with lots of tahini sauce and top with fresh herbs.
More on the Lemony Tahini Sauce. It is soooo good!
The combination of ingredients and the texture are perfect for this dish!
All you need is tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup or agave (just a little and it makes such a difference!), salt and pepper. I even double it sometimes to have extra for the week!
Whether a you’re enjoying these Moroccan Sweet Potatoes as a side dish (as my husband enjoyed them alongside grilled chicken) or a main dish (how I ate them), they are savory, satisfying and delicious!
Hope you love them as much as we do!
Thanks for my copy of the cookbook Gena! So many recipes I want to try. You can purchase Power Plateshere though this non-affiliate Amazon link. Note: While this is not a gluten-free cookbook but many recipes are naturally gluten-free and others can be easily adapted.
Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you try*.
Everyday Lemon Tahini Dressing (Males ⅔ to ¾ cup) (160 TO 175 ML)
1⁄4 cup (60 ml) warm water, plus more if desired
1⁄4 cup (60 g) tahini
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Moroccan Sweet Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the sweet potatoes on the lined baking sheet and prick each several times with a fork. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until fork - tender.
Meanwhile, cook the lentils by placing them in a large pot covered with 3 to 4 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until tender, about 18-20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool running water. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the seeds start to pop. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Decrease the heat to low and stir in the lentils, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, harissa, and salt, then stir in the spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted, adding water by the 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) if needed to prevent sticking. Stir in the pomegranate molasses.
Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Cut each sweet potato in half and use a fork to coarsely mash the flesh, still in the skin.
Place two halves on each serving plate and top them with a generous scoop of the lentils. Serve right away, with a drizzle of the tahini dressing and the optional fresh herbs.
Everyday Lemon Tahini Dressing
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk until evenly blended.
If the dressing is thicker than you’d like, whisk in water by the tablespoonful to achieve the desired
consistency.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the dressing will keep for 1 week.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...