Sweet Potato “Bruschetta”

Sweet Potato Bruschetta with Hummus & Tomatoes

Let it be known that I am a huge sweet potato fan as well as a yam lover.  

Which do you think is most nutritious, a yam or a sweet potato?  I thought all these years that a yam was best because it is much deeper orange (usually, depending on the variety) and has a “stronger” taste. I posted this question to random friends and family, and they thought the same thing.   We were WRONG.

Turns out sweet potatoes and yams are often used interchangeably in recipes, but in fact, the two vegetables are not even related. Both have B vitamins, but sweet potatoes have fewer calories and are higher in beta-carotene and vitamin C than yams.  

Enough education. Here’s how you make this yummy dish:

Wash and scrub a sweet potato.  Try to get one that is shaped kind of like my picture (this weighed about a pound).   Scrub the skin, dry it with a towel or paper towel, cut off the pointy ends and make pretty even slices, about ⅓ inch wide.  I got around 8 nice slices from mine. I use the end parts for making stock along with other kitchen scraps.

Preheat a toaster oven (or oven) to 350.  I lightly oiled some foil and laid the slices on top.  Bake for 20 minutes and test with a sharp knife to see if they are soft when pierced.  If not, turn them gently and bake another five minutes. With the slices from my large sweet potato, it took me about 25 minutes to get them soft.  Cool the slices really really well before putting them in a sealed container and refrigerating for up to five days.

The Humble Sweet Potato

When ready to serve, I pop a few into the toaster oven to toast for three to four minutes.  Take them out, eat as is (I do this for breakfast in place of toast to have with eggs and beans) or top it with whatever you would put on bruschetta. A few of my favorite toppings include:

  • Cottage cheese and sliced cherry tomato
  • Hummus and sliced Persian cucumber
  • Tuna salad and sprouts
  • Marinated peppers
  • Peanut butter and sliced banana
  • Egg salad and dill sprigs
  • Lox and pickled red onion
  • Avocado slices

You get to decide.   No rules here. I am loving “make ahead” meals these days, something just to grab when I come back from a workout or when I am on the go and don’t have time to do a lot of prep and cooking. This also makes a nice addition to a  light appetizer type dinner along with some toasted nuts and a salad.

PS: I have seen recipes for sweet potato “toast” which involves trying to cut even rectangles of sweet potato.  I attempted this twice and it was a no go–the slices looked pretty uneven and for me, I love these little round, three-bite slices.  I contend that bigger pieces are unappealing AND a whole piece of sweet potato toast is often too filling for me. Give it a go if you want though.

PPS:  These are SO AMAZING.  

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