Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Vegan Queso

Serves: 2

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook by Sohla El-Waylly (Knopf, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase Start Here here

Ingredients: 

• 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds/ 680 grams total), scrubbed
• ½ medium head broccoli (about 6 ounces/ 170g)
• Kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Vegan Queso, recipe follows
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Crushed Fritos

Special Equipment:

• Medium saucepan (or wok)
• Bamboo steamer or collapsible metal steamer

Method: 

• Set up a steamer:
  • If using a medium saucepan and bamboo steamer, fill the pot halfway up with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Place the steamer on top, making sure that the bottom basket just fits over the edges of the pot. (If there’s a gap, your sweet potatoes and broccoli will take longer to steam.)
  • If using a wok and bamboo steamer, add enough water to reach 1 inch below the bottom of where the steamer will rest. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and place the steamer on top.
  • If using a medium saucepan and collapsible metal steamer, add enough water to reach just below the steamer and place the rack on top. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
  • Throughout the cooking, keep an eye on the water level and add more hot water as needed.
• Steam the sweet potatoes: Set the sweet potatoes in the bottom basket of the steamer. Cook until a cake tester or knife easily pierces through the thickest part. Depending on diameter and type of sweet potato, this can take anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes.
• Prep the broccoli: Use a sharp knife to split the head from the stem of the broccoli. Trim the dried-out ½ inch off the bottom of the broccoli stem. Peel off the stem’s tough outer skin and cut the stem into bite-sized pieces. Divide the head into bite-sized florets.
• Steam the broccoli: When the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, arrange the broccoli on a second steamer basket and cook until crisp tender and bright green, 4 to 6 minutes (Keep the sweet potatoes in the steamer while the broccoli cooks to stay warm; they won’t overcook that quickly. If using a collapsible metal steamer, you’ll have to steam the broccoli and sweet potatoes separately).
• Assemble: Place the sweet potatoes on serving plates. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise incision halfway into each sweet potato and gently push in the sides until it splits open (like a baked potato). Season the sweet potato flesh lightly with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil. Fill each sweet potato with the broccoli and season lightly with kosher salt. Smother with queso and garnish with scallions and Fritos.

Vegan Queso 

Serves: 3 cups

Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 cup cashews
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces /224 grams), peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the chipotle can
• Pinch of MSG (optional)
• Kosher salt

Special equipment:

• Blender

Method: 

• In a medium pot, combine the olive oil and garlic and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and light golden, about 2 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the water, cashews, nutritional yeast, mustard powder, diced sweet potato, chipotle, adobo sauce, and MSG (if using) and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes and cashews are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Generously season with salt to taste. (It should taste cheesy, slightly spicy, and have a mellow sweetness. If it’s too spicy, sharp, or bland, it needs more salt.) If the mixture is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time. (Once cooled, the queso will keep in the fridge for 1 week.)