043 / 75 · A Vegetable-Led Table
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cabbage and Peanut Crumble
4 whole baked sweet potatoes, each with one-quarter of the slaw, yogurt and peanut crumble · Active 25 min · Total 1 hr 20 min
Print recipe · PDFA whole sweet potato supplies its own serving dish. Here the soft orange center gets cool cabbage slaw, plain yogurt and a salty toasted peanut-and-oat crumble. Each component is simple, but keeping them separate until the last moment gives a much more interesting meal than stirring everything into one soft filling.
Buy similar sizes, then roast whole
Four potatoes of roughly equal weight are easier to time than one very large potato and three small ones. Scrub the skins, remove damaged areas and prick each potato before roasting. A knife should slip through the thick center without resistance. The skin may wrinkle and a little syrup can reach the tray; neither is a reason to take a firm potato out early. A lined tray makes the sticky drips easier to handle.
Make a crumble rather than a paste
Roughly chopped peanuts leave distinct pieces, while oats catch the oil and seasonings around them. Toast the mixture in a small skillet over moderate heat, moving it regularly. The oats should smell toasted and look lightly golden. Stop before the peanuts become very dark, then spread the mixture on a plate to cool. Grinding everything finely or leaving it piled in a hot pan produces a less distinct topping.
Use the cool parts deliberately
Thin cabbage ribbons soften slightly in the lemon dressing but should still have a bite. Keep the yogurt plain so it contrasts with both the sweet potato and the salty nuts. Split a hot potato, loosen its center with a fork and layer rather than mix the toppings. This is also a practical way to use an open bag of oats or the last portion of plain peanuts, without requiring an expensive seed mixture or a separate bottled sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-large sweet potatoes, scrubbed (about 300 g each; 1.2 kg total)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (45 ml), divided: 1 tablespoon/15 ml each for potatoes, crumble and slaw
- 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), divided: 1/4 teaspoon/1.5 g for potatoes, 1/4 teaspoon/1.5 g for crumble and 1/2 teaspoon/3 g for slaw
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (1 g), divided equally between crumble and slaw
- 1/2 cup plain unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped (80 g)
- 2/3 cup rolled oats (60 g)
- 4 cups very finely shredded green cabbage (400 g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (8 g)
- 1 cup plain yogurt (240 g)
Set out
baking tray and baking paper, fork, knife and board, small skillet, mixing bowl, plate for cooling crumble, oven mitts
Allergens
peanut, milk, oats. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line the tray. Prick the sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Rub with 15 ml oil and 1.5 g salt, place apart on the tray and roast for 55–65 minutes, until a knife passes easily through the thick centers. Larger potatoes may need longer.
- Meanwhile, heat 15 ml oil in the small skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped peanuts, oats, 1.5 g salt and half the pepper. Stir for 6–8 minutes until lightly toasted. Spread on a plate to cool; do not leave the topping in the hot skillet.
- Mix cabbage with the remaining 15 ml oil, lemon juice, sugar, 3 g salt and remaining pepper. Toss well and let stand for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until serving. Keep yogurt cold.
- Split each cooked potato lengthwise and loosen the orange center with a fork without breaking the skin underneath. Give each potato one-quarter of the slaw, 60 g yogurt and one-quarter of the peanut-oat crumble. Serve promptly so the crumble stays crisp.
No specialty topping required
Ordinary rolled oats and plain peanuts provide the crumbly topping. The recipe does not depend on flavored nuts, granola or a ready-made dressing.
Ingredient labels
Use plain peanuts without an unlisted coating. Oats may carry wheat or gluten cross-contact; use appropriately labeled oats if needed. Yogurt supplies milk.
A useful detail
The roasting range assumes four roughly 300 g potatoes. Start checking smaller potatoes sooner and remove them individually when completely tender.
Another way
- Use 80 g plain sunflower kernels instead of peanuts if appropriate for your household; the flavor and allergen profile change. Check the packet for cross-contact warnings.
- Use finely shredded red cabbage at the same weight for the slaw. Its dressing may tint the yogurt when assembled.
Keep it well
Refrigerate cooked potatoes and slaw in separate shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days; keep yogurt refrigerated according to its label. Cool the dry crumble fully and refrigerate separately in a closed container. Reheat only the potato to 165°F/74°C throughout, then add the cold toppings and crumble.