These Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes are bursting with flavour and so easy to make. Oven-baked sweet potatoes loaded with a delicious mix of roasted chickpeas, creamy goat's cheese and a delicious creamy lemon and thyme yoghurt dressing.
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Topped with those tasty, crispy chickpeas, creamy goat's cheese, spring onions and tangy thyme, lemon and garlic yoghurt sauce these baked sweet potatoes have all the flavours and goodness of the Mediterranean.
These stuffed sweet potatoes make a really great lunch, but serve them with a great caesar salad and you have a super healthy dinner. The whole family loves this, and it's a great way to get the kids eating some pulses!
What You'll Need
- Sweet Potatoes - One medium to large sweet potato per person is perfect for lunch. Look for sweet potatoes that feel heavy for their size and have no bruises, soft spots, or signs of sprouting. Handle them gently because they bruise very easily.
- Goat's Cheese - I prefer a soft creamy, crumbly goat's cheese for this recipe. A milder goat's cheese is best for younger kids, otherwise, go with what you like.
- Chickpeas - One can of chickpeas will suffice for this recipe. Give them a dry with kitchen paper once drained and remove any loose shells.
- Spices - If you have za'atar feel free to use that. I used a mixture of dried oregano, ground cumin, sesame seeds and lemon zest to make a similar spice blend to za'atar.
- For the dressing - You will need, plain natural yoghurt, fresh thyme leaves, garlic and lemon zest.
How To Make Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes
- Clean and dry the sweet potatoes then place them on a baking tray, pierce the skin a couple of times then rub each potato in olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Mix together the cumin, sesame seeds, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
- Rinse and dry the chickpeas then pour them onto a baking tray, add the spice mix and give the chickpeas a good rub, making sure they are all covered in the spice mix. Pour over the olive oil, give the tray a shake then bake in the oven until the chickpeas are crispy.
- To make the dressing just add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Once the potatoes are cooked cut them open then fill them with the crispy chickpeas, crumble over the cheese then top with the spring onions (scallions) and serve with a dollop of the yoghurt dressing.
Why This Recipe Works
- Baked sweet potato with creamy goat's cheese is the perfect flavour combination!
- This is a very easy and budget-friendly recipe! Need more easy store cupboard meals? Check out my round-up of 7 Easy Vegetarian Store Cupboard Meals.
- Those crispy roasted chickpeas are full of the flavours of the Mediterranean. They also add a lovely crunchy texture to the fluffy sweet potatoes.
- This recipe works for lunch or dinner! Just add a side salad to make it more substantial.
Tips For Making The Best Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Make sure your oven is preheated. If your oven isn't preheated the potatoes will take longer to bake.
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes before you bake them, the last thing you want is a gritty sweet potato!
- Pierce the skin on each potato a couple of times, you can use a fork if you want, I use the tip of a sharp knife.
- Rinse and dry the chickpeas really well, I put them between two sheets of kitchen paper to really get them dry. Remove any loose shells before you cover them in the spice mix.
- If you have leftover chickpeas, save them, they make a great snack or add them to salads.
- We prefer a soft creamy goat's cheese with these but you can use a firmer goats cheese if you prefer, I would then pop the sweet potatoes back in the oven to melt the cheese.
How To Serve Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes
These sweet potatoes are perfect on their own with a small green salad for lunch. But if you want to make this more of a meal or serve it for dinner you could add a nice quinoa and lentil salad. You could also serve these baked sweet potatoes as a side dish, they work really well with this mushroom tart. However you serve it, I do recommend serving the yoghurt dressing with the sweet potatoes.
Need More Tasty Lunch Ideas? Try These:
- Spiced Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup
- Vegetarian Quesadilla
- Sweet Potato Quesadillas
- Baked Feta with Chickpeas
Have you made this Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes washed and dried
- 2 ½ tablespoon olive oil divided into 1 tablespoon and 1 ½ tbsp
- 1 400g can of chickpeas (1x15oz can) drained, rinsed and dried
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 125 g vegetarian goat's cheese (approx 1 x 4 oz log)
- 4 spring onions/scallions sliced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (as a garnish) optional
- Lemon wedges and dried red chilli flakes for serving optional
For the yoghurt dressing
- 150 g plain natural yoghurt full-fat is best for this dressing
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/392FWash and dry the sweet potatoes, pierce each one of times with a fork or sharp knife tip.Rub one tablespoon of olive oil onto the potatoes and place on a baking tray. Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes or until cooked through. Test with a sharp knife, the knife should come out clean.
- While the potatoes are baking prepare the chickpeas.Place the dry chickpeas on a baking tray then cover them in the spice mix rubbing the spice mix in. Drizzle over 1 and a half tablespoons of oil and toss the chickpeas again. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, I do this towards the end of cooking the sweet potatoes.
- Meanwhile, make the yoghurt sauce. Add the thyme leaves, yoghurt, garlic, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix well. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- When the sweet potatoes are done, remove them from the oven, using a sharp knife cut the potatoes open, fluff up the flesh of the potatoes with a fork.Add the chickpeas and crumble in the goat's cheese, then top with the slices of spring onion/scallions.
- Serve the baked potatoes, lemon wedges and a good dollop of the thyme and lemon yoghurt and some chopped parsley if you wish.
Notes
- Sweet Potatoes - Try and choose sweet potatoes of similar size, this way the potatoes will all cook at the same time. I always wash and dry the potatoes first. Don't forget to pierce the potatoes.
- Chickpeas - Canned chickpeas are fine for this recipe, but if you have dried chickpeas you can, of course, use those.
- Spice Mix - The spice mix is similar to za'atar, so if you have it feel free to use it. You will need about 2 tbsp.
- Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. Nutritional values will change according to the size of the potatoes you use, they type of cheese you use and the type of yoghurt you use.
- Measurements - I weigh all my ingredients using an electric scale, all measurements are metric. Cup measurements are approximate.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on Mar 21, 2017. It has now been updated with new photos, expert tips and nutritional information.
Jen
I have been working from home and was getting bored with salads and sammies. These potatoes are such a great change from the normal lunch fare.
Jen
I love how fully loaded these sweet potatoes are! The flavors just work perfectly together. Loved it!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Jen, I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Julia
I make stuffed sweet potatoes similar way and we love them. It's a tasty and nutritious dinner!
Paula Montenegro
I'm keeping this recipe to make asap! I always make baked sweet potatoes but for some reason eat them plain. This is a great way of making a meal out of it. Thanks for sharing!
Michelle Alston
You're so welcome Paula, I hope you enjoy them x
Sandhya's Kitchen
I love your the creative fillings in the sweet potato. Have been drooling on these potatoes, ever after I saw them on Pinterest.
Michelle Alston
Oh, thank you so much Sandhya x
Jennifer
I am recent sweet potato convert and I am now on the hunt for new ways to eat them. I am not a person that likes them stuffed with cinnamon and honey. Potatoes are a savory food for me so I stick with spice and usually a meat in them. I love these stuffed with Mediterranean flavors and those chickpeas for protein! Pinning!
Michelle Alston
Completely agree with you Jennifer, I'm not a fan of honey and cinnamon in my sweet potatoes. I hope you enjoy these x
Amy
Yum. This sounds delicious! I would most definitely include the thyme garlic yogurt sauce!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Amy 🙂
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
These look and sound so good! So much flavour in there! You really can't beat a good stuffed sweet potato, yum 🙂 xxx
Michelle Alston
Thanks Sasha x
Meg | Meg is Well
I love all the flavors at work and stuffed sweet potatoes are my favorite healthy comfort food out there. The Lemon, Thyme, and Garlic Sauce sounds amazing and I would love to drizzle it over everything!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Meg x They're one of my favourites too 😉
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
This looks like the perfect weeknight dinner! The lemon, thyme & garlic sauce sounds divine!! I'll definitely be making this recipe!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Kathryn, I hope you enjoy it x
Christine
Love this very healthy and creative take on sweet potatoes!
Michelle Alston
Thank you Christine 🙂