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Advice Recipes Nourishing Baked Sweet Potatoes with Kale-Seed Pesto

Nourishing Baked Sweet Potatoes with Kale-Seed Pesto

By Kaity Farrell
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Kale-Seed Pesto

By Kaity Farrell

Serves: 4

Pesto

  • 1 cup packed kale leaves, washed and veins removed
  • 1/4 cup packed parsley or cilantro leaves, washed
  • 1/3 cup hulled raw sunflower, pumpkin, or hemp seeds
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or pinch of ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Sweet Potatoes

  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup steamed and shelled edamame
  • fresh pomegranate seeds
  • chopped fresh tomato
  • avocado
  • 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Bake sweet potatoes on foil at 425 degrees F. for 30-40 minutes until fork tender.

Meanwhile, lightly steam kale leaves for several minutes to reduce any bitterness they might have (not necessary for baby kale leaves). Add lightly steamed kale, parsley, hemp seeds, lemon zest, and juice, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse to finely mince leaves. With food processor running, slowly add oil until mixture is smooth and creamy.

When sweet potatoes are done baking, split them with a knife and stuff them with steamed edamame, tomatoes, avocado and pomegranate seeds. Top potatoes with pesto and drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar. Garnish with a sprinkle of seeds of your choice and some fresh, tender herbs like parsley, basil, or cilantro.

Serve immediately. Store extra pesto in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week or freeze for later use for up to 6 months.

Kaity Farrell baking at her kitchen table

Kaity Farrell is a private chef based on the island of Nantucket, MA and the creative voice of food blog and brand, Fare Isle. She focuses on seasonal, nourishing and wholesome, mostly plant-based recipes. When she’s not creating and photographing recipes, you can find her tending her seaside garden and enjoying the beauty of the island with her husband and their young son. Find her at fareisle.com.

Last updated: 06/26/2023