Even in the thick of Los Angeles, I can feel the weather changing.
This autumn has been strange for me. I am not walking through the fire-coloured forests of Ontario, or biking in spitting rain under steel-gray skies in Denmark. Nope. I am in sunny southern California, where up until this week I could have sworn summer would last forever. But the changes have come here too, just slower I suppose, and are hidden in the cooler nights and shorter days.
It would be a gross understatement to say that I am little excited for the arrival of this season because it would be a gross understatement to say that I am obsessed with fall’s produce. Squashes, melons, pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, beets…sweet potato! Oh lord, sweet potato, you are my long lost autumnal lover, my everything that somehow manages to find your way into everything I cook this time of year. You are sweet and soothing, a nutritional superstar, the most versatile of vegetables! I bow to your ridiculous deliciousness.
Healthy Digestion with the Sweetest of Potatoes
Many people think that sweet potatoes are just regular potatoes that are orange, but they are in fact a completely different vegetable.
Compared to regular potatoes, sweet potatoes have oodles more vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C and even more fiber. This means that sweet potatoes are excellent for your digestion. Sweet potatoes are composed mainly of starch, which is very easy to break down and is soothing for the stomach and intestines too. This makes them an ideal healing choice for those suffering from the pain and inflammation associated with stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. The roughage of sweet potatoes even prevents constipation. What a root!
I came up with this recipe for sweet potato hummus last fall at one of the restaurants where I work, as I had baked a few too many sweet potatoes for another dish and needed to use them up. I was about to make a large portion of hummus for the day, I thought I would just throw them in the food processor with everything else and see how it would turn out. Genius. How could two of my favorite edibles not make the most perfect match when combined anyway? This dip consequently, became the new favorite thing on the menu, and often the staff would scoop it into their Tupperwares to take home before it even made it out of the kitchen!
This is one super simple, flavourful, nutritional drop kick of a dip. Serve it and smile. That’s all you gotta do.
And regular hummus? So last year!
Sweet Potato Hummus
Ingredients:
2 cups chickpeas
zest of 1 organic lemon, juice of ½ lemon
3 small sweet potatoes
1 tsp. ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
2-3 pinches sea salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Note: Don’t get too hung up on the quantities of ingredients with this recipe – it’s hard to make a mistake! Use more or less sweet potato than called for, more or less chickpeas if that suits you (or even leave them out!), omit the cayenne or throw in more if you like it spicy. Just work with what you have and what tastes good to you.
Directions:
1. Place sweet potatoes (with the skin on) in a baking dish in a 400 F oven and bake until very soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size. (You can also steam the sweet potatoes, but I find baking them is more flavourful.)
2. Let the sweet potatoes cool down so that you can easily remove their skins – they should just peel off. Place them in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend on high to mix.
3. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of cracked black pepper, and whatever herb you have on hand. This is wonderful with raw veggies, healthy crackers, or pita bread.
This dip doubles as an amazing sandwich spread, particularly on crusty sourdough with avocado, sprouts, and fresh herbs. I even eat this on the side of a rice bowl, or use it as a thickener for soups and stews, especially when I am cooking with lentils because they are a brilliant combo. Such an easy and yummy addition to just about anything! It will keep in the fridge for a week, but I highly doubt it will be around that long. Happy hummus-ing.
***Oh hey! I just entered a Sweet Potato recipe contest over at a great new blog called Affairs of Living. Check out all the other amazing recipes!***
Second time I have tried this dish – absolutely delicious! Thanks ever so much for this.
Love this recipe! We use it quite often. I double the carrots and celery and add minced onion flakes to it and use Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice. After a couple hours check it to see if it needs a little bit more water added.
I’ve made a lot of similar recipes in my slow cooker. I wouldn’t be able to survive with out my slow cooker. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
This recipe looks cool. I will definable going to cook it. Hope I will be able to make hummus just like it appears in the image.
Regards,
I love trying new recipes with vegetables with my kids. My daughter is the master at the food processor and Kitchenaid mixer. We also love baking low carb desserts from your site!
This recipe looks awesome!!! Since I don’t use grain flour, do you think almond or coconut flour would work well as a substitute? Thanks!
Can you cut down on the amount of buffalo sauce in the recipe? Will it make it less spicy? My kids wouldn’t eat it the first time because it was too spicy.
Of course you can! Make it yours 🙂
So, I stumbled across this recipe (and your blog) back when it was first posted (I think in 2010?). Now, eight years later, it is still one of my favorite recipes and I have fond memories of my excitement sharing this with my then-boyfriend in a tiny kitchen. Thanks for your wonderful recipes! It’s so simple and mostly hands off, so it was a great one to try for someone just getting into cooking. I always leave the chickpeas out and like to punch mine up with extra lemon juice. Divine.
This recipe is perfection and made so much! Excited to pair it with various meals this week. Thanks!
Gonna give this a go. Soon. Thanks
Liebe Sarah,
ich freue mich, Deinen Blog gefunden zu haben. Ich beginne, Deine Rezepte auszuprobieren. Danke für “The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread”. Es schmeckt super.
Liebe Grüße
Jutta
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oh! this sweet potato hummus… what a good idea! it was ah-mazing.
found your website via a link with a fb Friend Jennifer, who refers to you as “my Krissie”
She shared the nut milk humous link (though the original milk recipe link is broken 🙁 ). Anyway back to sweet potato hummous – We made a version based on a buddy’s suggestion to add smoked almonds and spanish smoked paprika – with just the roasted sweet potato – awesome too. Another version (we do hummous bars sometimes in our catering offerings) was sweet potato, maple syrup, and garam masala – a winner as well. with or w/out hummous depending on your taste. Thanks for some healthy inspirations.
super taste sensation!
made this today. didn’t even use olive oil and it was amazing. so happy with it 🙂
i licked the paddle and the bowl as well 😉
Hey Sarah! I made this hummus along with your Happy Crackers! Both recipes turned out perfectly. You can see them on my blog here: http://peachtopie.blogspot.com/2013/02/sweet-potato-hummus-healthy-crackers.html
j adore! simplymazing, thnks again…love it with and (a bit more) without the chickpeas…
Hi Sarah,I read your blog regulary, but I just found this recipe on pinterest. It is out of this world!! I´am standing in my kitchen licking the mixerpaddle!!! Thank you for this heavenly hummus. Carla
Oh my, this is so good!
really enjoyed this! Had it as a side dish for a couple of days!
thanks
I just made this but didn’t have a lemon on hand, so I used a lime and half an orange instead. You’d expect this to be super earthy and brown-tasting, but this flavor is bright like the sun!
Thanks so much.
-Victoria
highercommonsense.blogspot.com
Sarah, this was an absolute hit! Don’t think I’ll be going back to the traditional stuff in the near future!
http://www.clayandgrace.com/glog/hummus-with-a-twist.html
Thank you, once again! -Grace
Thanks for the kind compliment and for such an amazing looking recipe! You always blow me away 🙂 I wish I could cook with you sometime, because I think our tastes are so similar! THanks for sharing, and for entering the SOS challenge! Hope to see your recipe in the round up again 🙂 xo Kim | http://www.affairsofliving.com
I love pumpkin hummus and I absolutely adore sweet potatoes, so I know I’d be in for a big bowl of this! And your photo is gorgeous. 🙂 Thanks so much for entering the SOS Kitchen Challenge this month!
PS I think fall would be a lot more appealing over there than it is here in Ontario, where it’s basically a stepping stone to winter! 😉
This does sounds amazing! I love sweet potatoes. My son not so much but my baby would be all over it.
I’m so glad I found your blog.
This sounds like crazy yummy!!!
oh wow this sounds delicious! i too have a love affair with sweet potatoes 🙂
YUM! I made this yesterday actually and am pleased to report it tasted really good!!
It’s spring time in Australia, but we’ve had a few rainy/cold days so it was perfect! Thanks!
What a great combination! Funny how the best recipes spring from the need to use something up in the kitchen!
Hope you enjoy the autumn now it’s on its way!
I’m new to your blog, I love your style! I have some sweet potatoes to use up and I never would have thought of hummus, yum!
Oh my gosh…I love hummus but have never even thought to make it with with sweet potatoes! This looks delicious, can’t wait to try out the recipe.
This looks so yummy! I love your site. Funny how we’re drawn to those with similar eating habits:)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of sweet potato hummus! Nice work. I WILL certainly be trying this very soon.
Thank you & I adore your blog.
Oh, this looks great! Can’t wait to try!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! And the leaves in Ontario are a beautiful colour now. They are all starting to fall with the rain we have been having.
This looks great! I love hummus and welcome mashed chickpeas with sweet potatoes. Yum! Thanks for sharing!