Sweet Potato Bowl

This sweet potato bowl includes all the major players: something sweet, savory, creamy and crunchy. What’s more is it fits perfectly into a healthy eating routine and lifestyle. Sweet potatoes have officially landed on the map as a nutritious, tasty, and low-glycemic carb. They’re also versatile! You can make meals from loaded sweet potatoes and sweet potato fritters to sweet potato chili. There are plenty of dishes that make this ingredient the star of the show.

This recipe is great as-is, but there are also plenty of recipe variations provided at the bottom of this recipe. So feel free to improvise!

Sweet Potato Bowl Ingredients

• Rice: Long grain rice works best for this recipe because it maintains its shape and structure as it cooks. That said, there are many types of rice so feel free to experiment.
• Garlic salt: This ingredient is great a shortcut for adding a more pungent and salty flavor to the rice.
• Sweet potato: There are several types of sweet potatoes you may enjoy in this recipe. The garnet variety has a rich flavor and dense texture, while the jewel sweet potato has a light flavor and tender texture.
• Onion: We recommend using red onion because its pungent kick balances out the sweet and savory flavors of this recipe. That said, you can use shallots, yellow onion or even leeks if you prefer.
• Kale: While it can be tough when raw, cooked kale provides a wonderful bite to an otherwise soft dish. Any variety, whether it’s curly kale, dino kale or Russian kale will do.
• Black beans: This bean variety is a classic choice for pairing with sweet potato. Black beans become savory in flavor and very creamy as they cook.
• Sweet chili sauce: Your choice of a store bought or homemade sweet chili sauce here will do. And if you want a little extra sweetness but want to skip the heat of hot pepper, opt for a dressing like honey mustard.
• Lime (optional): A squeeze of lime or other acidic ingredient like vinegar, serves to brighten and enhance all the flavors of a recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the rice

Place rice, garlic salt and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, between 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand five minutes.

Step 2: Saute the sweet potato and onion

Next, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the sweet potato for eight minutes. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until you can stab a fork into the sweet potato, about four to six minutes.

Step 3: Add the kale and beans

Add the chopped or torn kale pieces and stir until tender, about four to six minutes. Stir in the beans and warm them together with the rest of the ingredients.

Step 4: Dress and garnish the bowls

Mix 2 tablespoons of the chili sauce and the remaining oil into the rice, adding it to the skillet. Serve with lime wedges and additional chili sauce, if desired.

Sweet Potato Bowl Variations

• Add something pickled: Whether it’s pickled red onion, pickled red cabbage or pickled peppers, you may enjoy the extra zip that a pickled ingredient can give your sweet potato bowl.
• Switch-up the dressing: Consider corn salsa, honey dijon dressing or homemade taco sauce for a different flavor combination instead of sweet chili sauce.
• Add extra protein: Blackened chicken, barbecued salmon or marinated steak tips would work wonderfully with this recipe. You can also opt for a vegan protein like seitan or grilled tofu.

How to Store a Sweet Potato Bowl

Allow the leftovers to cool to room temp and transfer them to an airtight container. Place them in the fridge and keep them for up to four days. Note that there is much debate over how long cooked rice lasts in the fridge and whether it’s safe to reheat it. We suggest making only the amount of rice you plan to eat at one time to avoid this conundrum.

Can I freeze a sweet potato bowl?

This recipe can readily be stored in the freezer but we suggest cooking and freezing the ingredients separately. This is because how to freeze rice is different from how to freeze kale, sweet potatoes and so on. Check our guide on how to freeze everything to learn more.

Sweet Potato Bowl Tips

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes?

Each cooking method has its own benefits and it’s up to you to decide. For example, steaming and boiling may preserve more nutritional value but many prefer to bake or saute sweet potatoes because of the flavor these cooking methods impart.

Why soak sweet potatoes before cooking?

Although it is not absolutely necessary, soaking sweet potatoes before you cook them will encourage them to release some excess starch. Ultimately, this can help them to cook more evenly.

What are the five components of a Buddha bowl?

A Buddha bowl is typically a plant-based meal that includes a grain, green, protein, fat and fruit or vegetable. While this recipe foregoes the extra fruit or vegetable, you could certainly add sauteed zucchini, carrot or any vegetable.