Lentil, Kale, and Roasted Veggie Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

 

I’ve been on a bit of a sweet potato kick lately; my last two weeks blog posts have been about my favorite orange vegetable. Since my mileage is increasing for my next half marathon, and I’m keeping up my weight lifting routine (darn those New Year’s goals), I’m constantly looking for healthy carbs to keep me energized. And when you are trying to eat healthy but love sweet foods like I do, a little cinnamon and honey on a mashed sweet potato is like healthy candy. I do love savory sweet potatoes too, which is where this recipe for a sweet potato that’s loaded down with smoky lentils and roasted vegetables really hits the spot. For you sweet potato haters–you could easily substitute a regular potato in this recipe for a comparably delicious meal.

 

I topped the baked sweet potatoes with roasted onions, green pepper, and kale. As an added bonus, the kale gets super crispy in the oven, which adds a great crunch to the topping. I love lentils because they are really filling, and a cheap vegetarian source of protein. Plus, they cook up quickly on the stove top, and keep for days in the fridge. Easy leftovers anyone? This meal only takes about 30 minutes start to finish. I saved time by pre-baking the sweet potatoes in the microwave, but since I do like a crispy outside on my potatoes (I eat that part too), I finished them off in the oven with all the vegetables.

 

If a vegetable topped with more vegetables and lentils doesn’t scream filling meal to you– just trust me–with 15 grams of fiber per serving you won’t be hungry. That fiber amount is in just 1/2 a potato and 1/4 of vegetable and lentil topping too!

 

 

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{Lentil, Kale, & Roasted Veggie Stuffed Sweet Potatoes}

This vegan meal is a super hearty and made with simple ingredients. The roasted vegetables are super flavorful, and the kale gets crispy in the oven and adds extra crunch!  Plus, you save time by pre-baking the potatoes in the microwave, and just finishing them off in the oven.

 

Servings: 4 (1/2 a sweet potato topped with 1/4 the lentil & veggie mixture)

 

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes -about 2 lbs of potatoes (you could sub with regular potatoes too)

3/4 cup dry brown lentils

2 1/2 cups water

1 red onion

1 green pepper

1 cup kale

3/4 tbsp olive oil (divided)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cinnamon

 

Directions

To cook lentils: rinse lentils in a strainer to remove any dirt, and combine in a medium-sized pot with water. Bring lentils to a boil, and cook on low for 15 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Strain out extra water and pour lentils into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

 

For vegetables: chop onion, green pepper, and kale into 1/2 inch pieces, toss with 1/2 tbsp oil and spread onto a large baking sheet. To bake sweet potatoes quickly: I like to save time by pre-baking my sweet potatoes in the microwave, and then letting the outside get crispy in the oven. Wash off outside of sweet potatoes, poke a few holes with a fork or knife to let steam escape, wrap in wax paper, and microwave 4-5 minutes until flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Coat each sweet potato with about 1/2 tsp olive oil, and place on the baking sheet with chopped veggies.  I only have one potato in the pic because I already had one baked from earlier, but two will fit. Bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes, stirring veggies halfway through the bake time. Veggies should come be a little charred, not burnt!

 

Combine roasted veggies with cooked lentils, and stir in spices. Cut sweet potatoes in 1/2 and top each potato half with 1/4 of the lentil and veggie mixture.

 

If you eat the whole potato double up the nutrition info. I only eat half a sweet potato for a meal because they are so big. My husband ate a whole one though!

 

Nutrition info per serving:  385 cal,  3 g fat, 77 g carb, 15 g protein, 15 g fiber

 

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