Sweet potato kumpir. What a beautiful thing. Yeah – theeeeese are goooood. With this kumpir recipe, once again the humble potato shines through! Thank you Turkish street food for inspiring me to explore a vegan version made with sweet potatoes, rather than good old spuds. And this version is served with a sort of mediterrean TexMex mash-up of chunky salsa, full of tasty, fresh flavors.
This sweet potato kumpir recipe is made with just basic 10 ingredients (give or take). Plus it’s healthy, entirely plant-based, and gluten-free. Not to mention, it’s the perfect way to refuel since it’s filling and nutritious.
What is a Kumpir?
Still confused what “kumpir is? Well kumpir actually the Turkish name for a baked potato (a big baked potato) chock full with various fillings. Traditionally, the baked potato is sliced lengthwise in half and seasoned with salt, shredded cheese and butter inside and then comes the toppings…. It’s one of those things I enjoy as lunch pretty much every week.
Only because I discovered a Turkish cafe near my office that serves them with the most delicious toppings. Five in all to choose from. Couscous salad, chickpea salad, avocado salad, tabouleh, and a whole lot of fresh veggies and other tasty choices. Yep, those mentioned are my fave. Plus carrots, cause they are good for you. 😉 To serve, it’s topped with a little sour cream and a spicy housemade chili chutney — to die for.
However, the inspiration for this recipe not only comes from Turkish fast food, but also from a colleague of mine in Amsterdam. We recently had a team meeting in Stockholm and were asked to cook a spontaneous dinner for my boss at her home. So, as a member of “team dinner”, we made this delicious sweet potato kumpir recipe with black bean salsa, my favorite chickpea and tomato salad and well…BBQ, for the meat lovers.
The thing I really love about this recipe is that it’s not your typical TexMex salsa. It has tangy pomegranate seeds which give it that extra special something.
Yes, I think you guys are going to LOVE these sweet potato kumpirs. They are:
Naturally sweet (hence “sweet” potato! but feel free to sub in regular potatoes!)
Subtly spicy unless you up the jalepenos
Fresh and flavorful
Healthy
100% plant-based and gluten-free
& Filling
So go ahead and plan a potato party! Great thing is you can also do these on the BBQ!
Sweet Potato Kumpir
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 4 medium organic sweet potatoes (alternatively large firm-cooking potatoes)
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salsa:
- 1 x 400 g can black beans rinsed and drained (or 200g dried black beans, cooked 'perfectly')
- seeds from 1/2 pomegranate, more if desired
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 15 cherry or mini roma tomatoes, quartered (about 150 g)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons jalepenos (from a jar)
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
To serve:
- Plain coconut yoghurt or sour cream
Method
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Preheat oven to 425°F / 210°C C. Rinse the sweet potatoes and use a fork to prick several holes into the skin. Place each sweet potato on an aluminum foil square and drizzle with a small amount of oil. Using your hands, rub the oil in a thin, even layer all over the potato. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap with the foil and place them on a baking tray. Be sure the foil is well-sealed.
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Bake 50-60 minutes (depending on size), or until you can pierce them easily with a knife or until it feels soft when you squeeze it.
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While the sweet potatoes cook, prepare the salsa. In a medium bowl, combine all the salsa ingredients and toss to combine. Set aside.
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Once the sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven remove the foil and transfer to serving plates. Make a slit lengthwise end-to-end across the top and fluff the inside with a fork before stuffing with the salsa topping.
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Serve with extra salsa on the side and coconut yoghurt or sour cream. Enjoy!
Notes
When using dried beans, I like to soak them for improved digestibility. I do this overnight in cool water, or for 6 hours. Then cook according to package instructions. For quicker cooking times, a pressure cooked can be used. This requires no soaking and the beans cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. Which is fantastic since they cook along with the potatoes. Or if you are feeling lazy or tired after a long day, go for canned black beans. They are harder to find in Germany, but can be found at specialty stores and some organic food stores. Look for the Italien label "Probios Bio Organic Fagioli Neri al Naturale" or black beans from Amaizin or Rapunzel.
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