White Bean and Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

What Is White Bean and Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes?

White Bean and Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are whole baked sweet potatoes split open and filled with a skillet mixture of white beans, kale and warm spices. The skins wrinkle and darken in the oven, the flesh turns soft, and toasted pumpkin seeds finish each plate with crunch.

What Makes This Recipe Anti-Inflammatory?

Sweet potatoes bring beta-carotene, the pigment the body converts to vitamin A. Kale adds glucosinolates and lutein. Glucosinolates convert into isothiocyanates, including sulforaphane, when the leaves are cut and chewed. Lutein is a carotenoid that accumulates in the retina.

Extra-virgin olive oil contributes oleocanthal, a compound that inhibits the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, the ones that produce inflammatory prostaglandins. Oleocanthal is also what creates the peppery tingle at the back of the throat that a fresh extra-virgin olive oil leaves. The cannellini beans supply fermentable fiber that feeds the production of short-chain fatty acids in the colon. The dish carries no added sugar, no melted cheese on top, no bacon and no cream.

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), scrubbed and dried
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch lacinato kale (about 8 ounces), stems removed and leaves chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce each sweet potato six or seven times with a fork. Rub them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half the salt, then set them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. They are ready when the tip of a knife slides into the center with no resistance and the fork holes release a juice that caramelizes on the skin.

Step 2

While the sweet potatoes bake, make the filling on the stovetop. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large dry skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then. They are ready when they start to pop and smell toasted. Transfer them to a plate.

Step 3

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent with golden edges. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and stir them in the oil for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Step 4

Add the kale in handfuls with the 2 tablespoons of water and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring, until the leaves wilt down and turn dark green. Add the cannellini beans and the rest of the salt and cook for 3 minutes. Mash about a quarter of the beans against the pan with the back of a spoon so the filling holds together instead of spilling out.

Step 5

Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Split each sweet potato open lengthwise and fluff the flesh with a fork to make room. Divide the filling among the four potatoes and finish with the toasted pumpkin seeds on top.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

InflammaScore

1 Good! Very low inflammation potential

Q&A

Q1: What can I use instead of cannellini beans if I cannot find them?
A1: Any white bean works. Great Northern beans and navy beans mash the same way. Chickpeas hold their shape more, so mash a quarter of them against the pan to help the filling bind.

Q2: Why does one of my sweet potatoes come out stringy or hard in the middle?
A2: Underbaking or too low an oven temperature, because the starches need full time at heat to soften through. Bake at 400°F for the full 45 to 50 minutes and test with a knife. Do not wrap them in foil, since the skin steams instead of roasting.

Q3: How long does the filling keep in the refrigerator, and how do I reheat the dish?
A3: The filling keeps about 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water. Warm the potatoes in a 350°F oven, which keeps the skins dry, unlike the microwave, which can make the flesh watery.

Q4: Can I use curly kale or bagged pre-chopped kale, and what changes?
A4: Both work. Curly kale has thicker leaves, so remove the stems fully and allow an extra minute or two in the skillet before it wilts. Bagged kale is already tender, so check it at 3 minutes.

Q5: How can I get ahead for a weeknight dinner?
A5: Bake the sweet potatoes and make the filling up to 2 days ahead, stored separately in the refrigerator. Toast the pumpkin seeds the same day so they stay crisp. To serve, warm the potatoes in the oven and the filling in a skillet.

Leftover filling works on its own over grains or folded into eggs the next day.