Gluten-free sweet potatoes stuffed with black beans

Gluten-free sweet potatoes stuffed with black beans: a well-spiced oven recipe with sweetcorn, red onion, vegan yoghurt and fresh herbs.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 45 min
• Total time: 55 min
• Calories: 420 kcal per serving
• Protein: 14 g
• Fat: 5 g
• Carbs: 75 g

Ingredients

• 1 small tin of black beans
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp vegan yoghurt
• 100g tinned sweetcorn
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Salt
• Fresh coriander or parsley

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · chopping board · knife

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake for 40–45 min, until soft.
2. Meanwhile, finely dice the red onion and soften briefly in a small pan with a little olive oil until translucent.
3. Add the black beans and sweetcorn and season with cumin, paprika and salt. Warm everything gently for a few minutes, until the mixture smells fragrant.
4. Cut the baked sweet potatoes open lengthways and carefully fluff up the flesh with a fork. Season lightly with salt if you like.
5. Spoon the bean and sweetcorn mixture generously into the sweet potatoes and spread it out evenly.
6. Serve with vegan yoghurt and fresh coriander or parsley.

Good to know

When you want something uncomplicated that's still really good, stuffed sweet potatoes are hard to beat. Soft, well spiced, creamy – and easy to fit into a normal week.

Swaps

Vegan yoghurt → coconut yoghurt without additives (often less processed, creamy without seed oils) Tinned sweetcorn → finely diced red pepper or courgette (fresher in flavour) Tinned black beans → cooked beluga lentils or jarred chickpeas (a nice change of fibre and texture) Red onion → spring onion or shallot (milder flavour)

Allergens

The recipe is naturally gluten-free, but it's still worth checking the labels of the tinned beans and the vegan yoghurt (vegan yoghurt is often made from soya). Usually fine for children; no concerns in pregnancy as long as everything is prepared hygienically and either heated through or served fresh.

Frequently asked questions

What's in sweet potatoes nutritionally?

Sweet potatoes mainly provide beta-carotene, as well as potassium and some vitamin C. Their orange colour is a good sign of their carotenoid content.

Do black beans agree with everyone?

Many people are fine with them; others are sensitive to the fibre and fermentable carbohydrates they contain. Rinsing tinned beans thoroughly often makes them a little milder.

What nutrients do black beans bring?

Black beans contain plant protein, fibre, folate, magnesium, iron and zinc. On top of that come natural plant compounds from the dark skins.

Is sweetcorn just a side or does it matter nutritionally?

Sweetcorn provides carbohydrates, fibre and smaller amounts of B vitamins. Yellow sweetcorn also contains carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin.

How useful is vegan yoghurt in this recipe?

That depends a lot on the base: soya usually brings more protein, coconut more fat. With shop-bought products, it's worth checking for added sugar and whether calcium or vitamin B12 has been added.

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