Spicy Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Kale (Vegan)

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With National Sweet Potato Day is around the corner (22nd of March) I thought it would be great to make something yummy and vegan celebrating one of my favourite vegetables. You see, I love sweet potato, so versatile, naturally sweet and fulfilling. It can be posh or plain and it goes well with a lots of different dishes: mains, sides, curries, casseroles, even muffins! It has many health benefits: a good source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6,  potassium, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus. A long list, isn’t it? So it’s worth thinking of ways how to incorporate it into your diet, it’s pretty easy! Click this link to read more about vegan Omega 3 sources.

Now, I’ve got everything sorted freshly from Aldi UK and I found the ingredients not only fantastic quality but cheap! And by cheap, I mean that a portion of this dish costs around £1.50 – you may add a bottle of wine, it will still be a low-cost, fresh and home made dinner. Can’t beat that. By the way, Aldi has lots of new vegan products available at the chilled isle and I have already tried their beetroot burger with giant couscous and roasted vegetables, pomegranate seeds and edamame beans, I can highly recommend that if you fancy something of a different for a burger!

So as my recipe: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Kale. Please don’t be put off by thinking: oh making your own pasta is such a hassle, because it’s not at all! Especially in case of gnocchi. Cook potato, mix with flour, cook for 3 minutes. Literally. Nothing compares to freshly prepared gnocchi. One of my favourite Italian dishes. All you do is that you swap regular potatoes for sweet potatoes.

I prepared it on a vegan way, but you can add any sort of cheese sauce or topping you fancy. For example, for my husband I added a little bit of bacon. To prepare the cashew sauce is not a big deal either: simply soak them in boiling water, then transfer them into your blender, add some water or oat milk and whizz. As for the pesto I buy that, you can buy vegan and free from pestos in any supermarkets.

Looking at the dish, I think it’s a total show stopper, you’ll be definitely awarded with: “It looks like a restaurant dish” type of compliments serving it! Top it with grated cheese of your choice or toasted pine nuts like I did.

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Spicy Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Kale (Vegan)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Super easy and tasty, ready in an hour! Vegan too!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: sweet potato gnocchi

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 200 g roasted sweet potato
• 100 g all purpose flour
• 3 handful fresh curly kale
• 80 grams cashews soaked in boiling water
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp lazy chilli optional
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• splash of oat milk
• 1 tbsp vegan pesto

Instructions

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, place them into a roasting dish and roast them for 40 minutes or until they are soft with a tbsp of olive oil on 180 Celsius in the oven. /when ready, let them cool down.

   

2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce: add the cashews to boiling hot water and let them soak for 10 minutes.

   

3. Then, blend them with a handheld blender adding a splash of water. When it's smooth enough, add as much oat milk until you get the right consistency. When you reached it, mix a spoonful of vegan pesto in.

   

4. When the sweet potatoes cooled down enough to handle them, place them into a mixing bowl, add the flour, some salt and pepper and prepare your dough.

   

5. sprinkle some flour on your working surface and make a long, about one inch thick "snake".

   

6. Cut them up into thumb sized pieces and press them down a little bit with a fork.

   

7. Cook them in boiling water. This takes about 3-4 minutes. When they are ready, they will float to the top. Remove them from the water.

8. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic and chilli to a wok pan (or similar), and cook for 2 minutes, then add the kale. Allow another 1-2 minutes for sauteeing the kale.

9. Finally, add the gnocchi and as much of the creamy pesto sauce as you like it. 

10. Serve immediately. Enjoy!