Sweet potato boats with chickpeas and roasted broccoli with ginger turmeric sweet potato cream. A hearty plant-based meal for the family!

Happy Friday Eve!

I used to worry that writing about food would get old.

As it turns out, it’s mostly thinking up ways to describe how amazing something tastes that really uses brainpower.

If you think about it, it’s actually pretty hard to describe what a sweet potato, for example, tastes like if you were describing it to someone who’d never had one before (poor soul!).

How would you describe it? Sweet? Fluffy?

Every word feels a bit inadequate to encompass all that is…a sweet potato.

So you’re just going to have to trust me when I tell you that these Sweet Potato Boats with Sweet Potato Cream are out of this world good eating.

How’s that for a descriptor?

Basic = Sweet Potatoes

I’ve been getting back to the basics with my food lately and basic for me equals taters.

They were a huge part of my plant-based journey after I got over the whole “carbs” thing.

Early on in my plant-based days I read The Starch Solution.

Have you heard of it?

While I’m not sure I agree with the entire philosophy, I do love the promotion of eating complex carbs for consistent fuel and energy, and any excuse to eat a bunch of sweet potatoes seemed like a good sort of lifestyle to me.

Maybe I should just write The Sweet Potato Solution and be done with it.

My personal ode to sweet pots.

What You Need to Make Sweet Potato Boats

I love the way they serve as the fluffy foundation to a hearty plant-based meal.

In these sweet potato boats, they’re baked to tender perfection, then sliced in half and served with roasted baby broccoli, and spiced chickpeas.

Here’s what you need to make the Sweet Potato Boats:

sweet potatoes
baby broccoli
avocado oil
chickpeas
Tandoori Masala Seasoning
Himalayan sea salt

That’s it!

How to Make Sweet Potato Boats

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place them on the first parchment lined baking sheet. Set the timer for 60 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the chickpeas.

Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to the second parchment lined baking sheet.

Add a small drizzle of avocado oil (if avoiding oil, omit) and season generously with Tandoori Masala seasoning or your favorite spice blend.

You can also roast them plain!

Add the pan to the oven within the sweet potato timer reaches 20 minutes remaining.

Now prepare the baby broccoli by rinsing and chopping off the woody stems (about 3/4 way down).

When the chickpeas and sweet potato timer reaches 10 minutes, pull the chickpea pan out of the oven, scoot the chickpeas over, and add the baby broccoli next to them in an even layer.

Season the broccoli with a drizzle of avocado oil (optional) and a pinch of Himalayan sea salt and return the pan to the oven for the remaining 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, take both pans out of the oven.

The chickpeas should be crispy, the baby broccoli should be vibrant green with crispy tips, and the sweet potatoes should be tender and oozing.

Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then slice them in half and scoop out a tablespoon of mash from the center of each half to make room for the filling.

This will be used in your Ginger Turmeric Sweet Potato Cream!

What You Need to Make Sweet Potato Cream

Then you drizzle them in a super creamy ginger turmeric sauce made with… more sweet potato!

Yes, because it wasn’t enough to feature sweet potatoes as the basis for the entire meal, I went ahead and added them the dressing too.

Sweet potato on sweet potato.

Zero waste, baby.

Here’s what you need to make the Ginger Turmeric Sweet Potato Cream:

coconut milk
sweet potato mash reserves
lemon juice
Edward & Sons Organic Turmeric Juice
Edward & Songs Organic Ginger Juice
garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper

That’s it!

How to Make Sweet Potato Cream

To make the Sweet Potato Cashew Cream, add the coconut or almond milk, sweet potato mash, lemon juice, turmeric juice, ginger juice, garlic powder, and black pepper and blend until smooth and creamy.

I liked my sauce thick and creamy, but if you prefer a thinner consistency, add some filtered water to thin out.

To assemble, fill each potato half with a roasted baby broccoli floret, a few spoonfuls of toasted chickpeas, and a spoonful of sweet potato cashew cream.

Garnish the potatoes with fresh dill and hemp hearts and serve them immediately.

The Inspiration

One of my top suggestions to making plant based eating exciting is creating your own sauces, dressings, and spreads!

I was inspired by a recipe from Love & Lemons to take the sweet potato reserves from stuffing these boats and incorporate that goodness back into the sauce.

Genius!

The sauce is a thick, creamy, and perfectly spiced with anti-inflammatory turmeric and digestion aiding ginger!

Edward & Sons Juices

I was so excited to try out Edward & Sons new organic juices to make this sauce come alive!

Their new Organic Turmeric Juice and Organic Ginger Juice makea adding flavor to your meals super easy.

If you dread chopping turmeric or ginger root by hand, these “juices” are truly a lifesaver!

The keep in the fridge after opening and are so convenient to pour into soups, sauces, dressings, etc.

The liquid is highly concentrated, so a little bit goes a long way!

Protein Options

And with every good carb comes a little protein to back it up.

Spiced chickpeas add protein here to make these boats a complete meal!

My favorite way to season the chickpeas for these boats is with my favorite Tandoori Masala seasoning!

It has a mild spice and heat that pairs perfectly with the Turmeric Ginger Sweet Potato Cream.

Swaps and Substitutions

If you can’t find baby broccoli near you, substitute regular broccoli instead.

Make sure you chop the head into small florets before roasting to achieve even baking.

Another suitable alternative is asparagus spears!

These are of the same family as baby broccoli and would look beautiful nestled into these boats for spring.

How to Serve Sweet Potato Boats with Sweet Potato Cream

Enjoy these Sweet Potato Boats with Sweet Potato Cream any time you’re looking for a fun plant based meal.

I love topping mine with fresh dill and hemp hearts.

They’re equally wonderful to serve at a dinner party spread or to whip up for your weekly meal prep menu.

I like to make a bunch or boats (a fleet?) and eat leftovers boats throughout the week.

Make sure to add lots of fresh dill and a few spoonfuls of Turmeric Ginger Sweet Potato Cream!

Store leftover sweet potato boats and turmeric ginger sweet potato cream in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and reassemble and reheat before serving.

Enjoy!

More Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Sweet Potato Boats with Sweet Potato Cream recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

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XO Lauren