Sweet Potato Stew: 5 Fabulous Recipe Ideas

If you like sweet potatoes, I'm willing to bet you will l-o-v-e sweet potato stew ... a hale and hearty, simple-to-make, one-dish-meal where sweet potatoes are the main attraction.

Whether you're a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned cook, you can create your own recipes by pairing sweet potatoes with a bevvy of beans ... or a variety of veggies along with a selection of your favorite spices and seasonings.

But in case you need some ideas to get you started, here are five fabulous recipes for sweet potato stew that are (in my humble opinion) hmmm-hmmm good . . .

Photo used under Creative Commons from: paul goyette, on Flickr

Photo used under Creative Commons from: lynn.gardner, on Flickr

Chocked full of antioxidants, super-healthy sweet potatoes provide loads of fiber along with vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, manganese, potassium and even iron.

Photo used under Creative Commons from: lynn.gardner, on Flickr

What do you get when you combine cooked sweet potatoes, lentils, tomato soup and simple spices? Why this super-quick and easy Sweet Potato Lentil Stew, of course!

Photo used under Creative Commons from: Ruthieki, on Flickr

Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew

A terrific recipe from: Ruthie Hansen that uses a combination of spices and orange juice that delivers a dish with a wonderfully balanced flavor. Well worth a try.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium onions, chopped

2 large sweet potatoes, diced

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup brown rice

3 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Black pepper to taste

A dash cayenne

4 cups water

1 cup orange juice

Directions

In your soup pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the sweet potato, spices and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until the rice is fully cooked and the sweet potatoes start to break down and thicken the stew. You can add more water, if needed. Top with cilantro, yogurt or both.

Recipe used under Creative Commons from: Ruthie Hansen

Chunks of sweet potato combined with a line-up of veggies . . . garlic, onions, celery, carrots, potato, turnip, cabbage, kale, stewed tomatoes. Heck, you can even throw in a cup of cooked pot barley.

A real stick-to-your-ribs meal, especially on cold days.

Photo used under Creative Commons from: Jeffrey Coolwater, on Flickr

Create your own recipe ... using sweet potatoes, cooked barley, chopped onion and garlic, tomato soup . . . and season with a healthy dose of curry powder, a bit of allspice and sea salt (to taste).

Note: if you don't have fresh onion or garlic on-hand, you can always substitute with powdered (or granulated) onion and garlic, if you like.

Photo used under Creative Commons from: paul goyette, on Flickr

"Peanut Sweet Potato Stew With Kale" is a vegetarian version of the West African, "Senegalese Peanut Stew."

It calls for sauteed red onion, garlic, ginger, thick-sliced sweet potatoes, plum tomatoes, kale, veggie broth along with some crushed peanuts, and a scoop of peanut butter.

Although the recipe comes from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food," here is a link to the full ingredient list and directions online.

Great served as a one-dish-meal or over rice.

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Photo used under Creative Commons from: paul goyette, on Flickr

Photo used under Creative Commons from: Food Thinkers, on Flickr

Psst . . . If you don't have a good slow cooker recipe . . . here's one I recommend.