Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Produce
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 1 fresh ginger, grated
- 500 g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 100 g baby spinach, washed
Pantry & Spices
- 30 ml olive oil
- 30 g tomato paste
- 4 g ground cumin
- 4 g smoked paprika
- 3 g ground coriander
- 2 g ground turmeric
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Liquids & Beans
- 480 g canned black-eyed beans, rinsed and drained
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes, with juices
- 400 ml vegetable broth, low-sodium preferred
- 200 ml full-fat coconut milk, well shaken
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 499 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 69 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 912 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 1587 mg
- Calcium
- 113 mg
- Iron
- 10.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 94 mg
- Phosphorus
- 160 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 1049 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 129 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 78 mcg
- Water
- 298 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare all vegetables by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, grating the ginger, and cutting the peeled sweet potatoes into uniform 2cm cubes.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, minced garlic, ginger, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Toast the mixture, stirring constantly, until the spices are highly fragrant and the tomato paste deepens in color, about 2 minutes.
Add the diced sweet potatoes, canned diced tomatoes with their juices, and vegetable broth. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any toasted spices. Bring the stew to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F.
Stir in the drained black-eyed beans. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer at around 90°C/195°F. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are completely tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Pour in the coconut milk and add the baby spinach. Gently mix everything together and let the stew sit uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted.
Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper if necessary. Ladle the hot stew into warm bowls and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using full-fat coconut milk provides a superior creamy texture and richer mouthfeel, but you can successfully use lite coconut milk if you prefer a lighter broth.
- If using dried black-eyed beans instead of canned, you will need to soak 150g of dried beans overnight, drain them, and boil them in fresh water for 45 minutes before adding them to this recipe.
- To build a deeper, more complex flavor profile, allow the tomato paste and spices to slightly catch and caramelize on the bottom of the pan in step 3 before deglazing with the broth.
- This stew is incredibly forgiving and actually tastes even better the next day as the spices continue to meld and develop in the refrigerator.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will continue to develop, making it excellent for meal prep.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in individual portions. The sweet potatoes may soften slightly upon thawing but the stew will retain its flavor.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if the stew has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
Stew broth is too thin and watery
Cause: Too much liquid was added or sweet potatoes did not break down enough to release their starches
Fix: Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to lightly crush a handful of the sweet potatoes and beans against the side of the pot, then simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes to thicken
Prevention: Measure the broth accurately and ensure the sweet potatoes are cooked until very tender before removing from heat
Sweet potatoes are mushy and falling apart
Cause: Sweet potatoes were cut too small or simmered for too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but the dish will still be delicious as a thicker, more pureed soup
Prevention: Cut sweet potatoes into uniform 2cm pieces and check for doneness at the 15-minute mark
Cultural Context
This hearty stew draws heavy inspiration from West African culinary traditions, particularly the harmonious combination of root vegetables, black-eyed beans, and leafy greens. Black-eyed peas are indigenous to West Africa and have historically been paired with rich, spiced tomato bases and coconut or palm oil to create sustaining, nutrient-dense communal meals. This modern plant-based interpretation celebrates those traditional flavor foundations while utilizing accessible global pantry staples.
