These crispy baked sweet potatoes topped with a smoky lentil stew are the ultimate in comforting vegan dinners!
If you’re looking for a healthy, filling and budget-friendly plant-based meal, this recipe absolutely delivers. The sweet potatoes bake until soft and fluffy inside with beautifully crisp skins, while the lentil stew is rich, savoury and packed with flavour from mushrooms, smoked paprika and herbs.
The contrast between the sweet, creamy potato and the deeply savoury lentil stew is just wonderful.
It’s also one of those dinners that feels satisfying without requiring a long list of ingredients. Everything in the stew comes from simple cupboard staples, which means this is a fantastic recipe to have up your sleeve when you’re wondering what to have for dinner tonight.
And while the sweet potatoes take about an hour to bake, the work involved is almost entirely hands-off. You pop them in the oven, make the stew in the meantime, and before you know it you’ve got a warm, nourishing dinner that the whole family will love.
This is also a brilliant vegan meal prep recipe. The lentil stew keeps extremely well in the fridge and freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and enjoy it again later in the week.
Comforting, simple, affordable and delicious. What more could you want?!
Why This Recipe Works So Well
There’s something incredibly satisfying about a properly baked sweet potato.
When cooked in the oven, the skins become lightly crisp while the inside turns soft, fluffy and almost creamy. Sweet potatoes also have a gentle natural sweetness that works beautifully with savoury toppings.
Pairing them with a rich lentil stew is a particularly good combination. Lentils bring protein and heartiness to the dish, while mushrooms add that deep savoury flavour that makes plant-based meals feel really satisfying.
The smoked paprika is the secret ingredient here. It adds warmth and a subtle smoky depth that makes the stew taste far richer than the simple ingredient list might suggest.
The result is a dinner that feels deeply comforting and wholesome at the same time.
The Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes – Large sweet potatoes are the base of this dish. Baking them whole allows the skins to become lightly crisp while the inside becomes beautifully soft. Sweet potatoes are naturally rich in fibre and vitamins, and they’re wonderfully filling too.
- Olive oil – A little olive oil rubbed over the skins helps them crisp up in the oven and adds flavour. Make sure the potatoes are well coated before baking – it makes a huge difference to the final texture.
- Onion – The onion forms the base of the lentil stew and adds sweetness and depth. A white or brown onion both work perfectly here.
- Chestnut mushrooms – Mushrooms add a wonderful savoury flavour that gives the stew its richness. Chestnut mushrooms work well because they have a deeper flavour than standard white mushrooms, but either will work just fine.
- Passata – Passata provides the tomato base for the stew. It brings acidity and richness which balances the sweetness of the potatoes. If you don’t have passata, you can use a tin of chopped tomatoes instead.
- Tinned green lentils – Tinned lentils make this recipe incredibly quick and easy. They’re already cooked, so they just need warming through in the sauce. Green lentils work particularly well because they hold their shape nicely and have a slightly nutty flavour.
- Smoked paprika – This spice is absolutely key to the flavour of the stew. It adds warmth, smokiness and depth. If you like a little heat, you could also add a pinch of chilli flakes.
- Oregano – Dried oregano adds a gentle herbal flavour that complements the tomato and lentils.
- Fresh parsley – A sprinkle of fresh parsley at the end brightens the stew and adds a little freshness.
How to Make Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lentil Stew
This recipe is wonderfully simple to prepare.
- Start by baking the sweet potatoes. Toss them with olive oil and salt, then bake until the skins are crisp and the inside is soft enough that a knife slides through easily.
- While the potatoes cook, prepare the lentil stew. Cook the onion gently in olive oil until softened, then add the mushrooms and allow them to cook until golden and slightly caramelised. This step builds a lot of flavour, so don’t rush it! Next, add the passata, lentils and spices and allow everything to simmer together for a few minutes. The stew thickens slightly as it cooks and the flavours come together beautifully.
- Just before serving, stir through the chopped parsley.
- Slice open the baked sweet potatoes and spoon the stew generously over the top.
Dinner is served!
Why This is a Brilliant Vegan Weeknight Dinner
Plant-based dinners don’t need to be complicated or expensive.
This recipe proves that a handful of simple ingredients can create something that’s delicious AND filling.
You’ve got protein from the lentils, fibre and nutrients from the sweet potatoes and vegetables, and loads of flavour from the spices and herbs.
It’s affordable, easy to make and perfect for busy evenings.
And perhaps best of all – it’s a meal that even committed meat-eaters tend to love.
Give it a try and see for yourself!
Baked Sweet Potatoes With Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 400 grams chestnut mushrooms
- 400 ml passata
- 500 grams green lentils tinned
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Put the sweet potatoes in a bag and pour over 2 tbsp of the oil. Add a generous pinch of salt and rub them well to make sure they're coated. Tip onto a baking tray and slice a cross into the top of each one with a sharp knife. Put in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for an hour. They're done when a knife cuts through them easily.
- For the stew, finely chop the onion. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and add the onion, stirring, for two minutes.
- Chop the mushrooms into chunks and add to the pan. Leave to cook until they are starting to turn golden.
- Add the passata, lentils, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook gently for 5-10 minutes, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Just before you are about to eat, add the chopped parsley to the stew. Slice the sweet potatoes and dollop the stew on top.
Video
Notes
- If you wish, you can serve this with baked white potatoes rather than baked sweet potatoes. Prepare and cook them in the same way.
- Leftover stew can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
More Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed these stuffed baked sweet potatoes with lentil stew, here are a few more easy plant-based dinners to try next.
These recipes are simple, filling and perfect for busy weeknights.
- One Pot Mexican Bean Stew – a rich, smoky bean stew packed with flavour and ready in one pot.
- Vegan Peanut Butter Curry – a warming curry packed with scrumptious peanut flavour.
- Chickpea and Courgette (Zucchini) Vegan Chilli – a hearty and comforting stew that’s full of bold flavours.
Or browse my full collection of easy weeknight dinner recipes here.
Vegan comfort food to the max! Nourishing and delicious
Interesting to read this post – I went vegetarian last year and watched What The Health a few weeks ago. I’ve since cut out eggs and trying to eat goats dairy Vs cows dairy. I feel happy in my change to a plant based diet without being a strict vegan ?hopefully the change works for you too!