Sweet Potato Hash with Avocado
This is one of my favorite healthy, low-cost, low-effort meals to make; it’s what I cook when I don’t feel like cooking! If you haven’t tried the sweet potato and avocado combo, you have to; especially in this dish, the warm and crispy potatoes combined with the cool, creamy avocado is absolutely heavenly. Sometimes if I’m craving an even bulkier meal, I cube and cook tofu with the sweet potatoes, too! So good!
Sweet potatoes are a great option for breakfast, or any time of the day. They’re actually my favorite food, bar none! So it makes sense that I would have a recipe that is essentially an entire plate of sweet potatoes, just dressed up a bit! I’m always stocked up on them at home, so this dish stays in my rotation. While I typically have this Sweet Potato Hash with Avocado as a filling breakfast option, sometimes I’ll even make it as a healthy late dinner!
One of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio is Northstar Cafe. They have incredible vegan options, including their Northstar Burger, Thai Burrito, and Buddha Bowl. I’ve been frequenting Northstar Cafe since I first went vegan in 2009, and their delicious dishes have been one of the most reliable, consistent things in my life! Lol! Another vegan-friendly dish of theirs is the Sweet Potato and Turkey Hash, which can be made vegan by of course removing the turkey. It also comes with eggs on top, which I replace with avocado when I order. Now typically, I would order something else when I go out to a restaurant that I couldn’t make at home, but whether it’s my love for Sweet Potato Hash, or my love for Northstar’s Sweet Potato Hash, I order that dish every time I go there for breakfast!
As I’m writing this, I’m getting a craving for sweet potatoes, and I have about 3 pounds of them in my kitchen now! This Sweet Potato Hash with Avocado is definitely one of my favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes, but I do have plenty of other ways to enjoy them, such as these Sweet Potato Fries with parsley, or even my Sweet Potato Black Bean Brownies! They’re a super helpful ingredient to have on hand at all times, especially because they’re such a healthy food that can be incorporated into both savory and sweet dishes, sautéed or baked.
Using this hash as a base for a salad works well, as I’ve often made these and topped a bed of lettuce with them, or drizzled my Almond Dressing or Vegan Caesar Dressing over them, and it creates a delicious combination! The soft, tender nature of the sweet potatoes provides plenty of moisture in this dish without the need for additional condiments, but it can’t hurt, either, and provides some variety!
Garlic Cloves: The little garlic cloves in this recipe bring a ton of flavor. If you would like to have bigger chunks of garlic in this recipe rather than mincing them finely, you can certainly do that, as well, as they won’t be as potent since they’re being cooked thoroughly. If you prefer to substitute fresh garlic with garlic powder, you can certainly season your sweet potatoes that way, as well.
Onions: Sweet potatoes and onions go together like… peanut butter and jelly? I’ve made this simple recipe without onions if I didn’t have them on hand; instead, I’ll just season my sweet potatoes with onion powder. It works well, but I prefer to use the whole onion. Even cooked, they add a fresh and lighter element to the carb-heavy sweet potatoes, and the creamy avocado.
Sweet Potato: This sweet potato-based recipe is full of nutrients, including the fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium, and beta-carotene that the sweet potatoes themselves bring. They’ll keep you full all day long, with minimal calories! Of course, this recipe can be made with other types of potatoes, but sweet potatoes have their own distinct taste that cannot be compared!
Avocado: Adding avocado to your Sweet Potato Hash adds a texture, temperature and flavor contrast that you’re going to adore! I like adding avocado to my baked sweet potatoes, too, and when I make sweet potato burgers. But specifically for this recipe, adding the avocado really steps up the entire dish!
Olive Oil: This recipe can be prepared oil-free by cooking your garlic, onions and sweet potatoes on a low setting in a small amount of water or vinegar instead, but I prefer to prepare them with oil. If you decide to go oil-free, an even easier way to ensure that they cook thoroughly and evenly is to air-fry them!
Salt and Pepper: Because this recipe is so casual and easy to make, I typically just add salt and pepper throughout the cooking process, and then to taste at the end. Be sure to add a bit to your avocado after you’ve topped your sweet potatoes with it, to bring out that fresh, buttery avocado taste!
Ingredients
(Makes one serving)
1 garlic clove
⅛ C chopped onion
1 medium sweet potato
½ avocado
Olive oil, for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Begin by mincing the garlic, chopping the onion, and cubing the sweet potatoes.
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion, and sauté until they start to brown and become fragrant.
3. Add the cubed sweet potatoes to the pan, drizzle with additional olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the sweet potatoes to coat them evenly. Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and fork-tender. Covering the pan temporarily may help ensure that the potatoes cook through evenly.
4. Once the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside, transfer them to a plate.
5. Cut the avocado in half, slice the half without the pit into thin strips or cubes, and add to the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Stefanie is the founder of Life, Veganized, and a passionate vegan and animal advocate. She creates vegan recipes for all palates and resides in Los Angeles with her adorable puggle, Zeus.
