Sweet potatoes and black beans
Sweet potatoes baked until their sugars run and caramelize on the pan, split open and filled with warm black beans, smoky ajvar, cold lime yogurt, and feta.
About 700 kcal and 25 g protein a serving
You'll need
- 4 sweet potatoes — two tonight, two for the second dinner
- 1 can black beans, drained — half tonight
- Ajvar, a few spoonfuls
- ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 lime
- Feta, crumbled
- Olive oil and salt
Make it
Tap a step when it's done.
- 400°FHeat the oven. Scrub the potatoes, prick each a few times, rub with oil and salt, and set them on a foil-lined sheet pan — the syrup that runs out will burn onto a bare one.
- 45–60 minBake without turning them, so the bottoms caramelize, until a knife slides in with no resistance and syrup beads out. Big potatoes can take an hour or more. Soft isn't done — keep going.
- Stir the lime zest, half its juice, and a pinch of salt into the yogurt.
- Last 5 minWarm half the beans in a small pan with a spoonful of ajvar and a pinch of salt. The rest of the beans, two potatoes, and half the yogurt are the second dinner.
- Split each potato lengthwise, push the ends toward the middle so it opens, and salt the inside.
- FinishBeans, then a spoonful of lime yogurt, then feta and more ajvar. The rest of the lime over the top.
Leftovers
The second dinner keeps four days. Rewarm the potatoes whole in a hot oven, warm the other half of the beans, and finish it the same way.
Make it a meal
Two eggs fried in olive oil on top. The runny yolks become a second sauce for the beans.
How it works
A sweet potato baked long enough is rich and sweet on its own, so it wants smoke, salt, and acid against it: ajvar, feta, lime yogurt. The real technique is patience — soft isn't done; keep going until the syrup caramelizes on the pan.
Make it your own
- Leftover sausage or pork instead of the beans.
- Torn dates and feta for a sweet-and-salty version.
- Kabocha wedges work the same way, in half the time.
Checked against
- Baked Sweet Potatoes — America's Test Kitchen — 400°F, 40–50 minutes, and don't turn them so the bottom skin caramelizes
- Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Crème Fraîche — Nik Sharma, Food52 — why the browning happens
Nutrition estimate, per serving
| Calories | 600–750 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 20–25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 90–110 g |
| Fat | 20–25 g |
| Fiber | 20–25 g |
A serving: Half the recipe: two baked sweet potatoes, half the beans, ¼ cup yogurt, feta, ajvar.
Not included: Nothing.
With “Make it a meal”: about 800–950 kcal and 35–40 g protein.
Estimated from standard nutrition data for each ingredient in the amounts above, then rounded. Fish, brands, and portions vary, so read these as a guide, not a measurement.