Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite things to eat, and for a long time I wondered how I could transform them from a side dish into a full meal. The answer is to load them up with lots of fixings, including black beans, avocado and fresh vegetables, and then smother them with a creamy cashew-based queso sauce. The recipe for the sauce is worth doubling and keeping on hand: it’s delicious on baked potatoes, nachos, tostadas or Mexican rice. You can top the fries with any of your favorite nacho fixings, including hot sauce, salsa and pickled jalapeño chiles.
Sweet Potato Nacho Fries
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into spears
- 2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- Cashew queso sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 Hass avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 tsp agave nectar or maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 - 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories355
- protein14g
- fat17g
- carbs43g
- sugar8g
- fiber12g
- sodium460mg
Directions
01
Prepare the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Put sweet potatoes in large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss until evenly coated. In small bowl, stir together salt, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, pepper and cayenne, adding a bit more cayenne if you like things spicy. Scatter spice mixture over sweet potatoes and toss again. Spread sweet potatoes on baking sheets in an even layer. Bake, stirring occasionally, for about 35 minutes, until quite crispy.
Meanwhile, make the queso sauce: Combine all cashew queso sauce ingredients in blender (preferably a high-speed blender) and process until totally smooth. If sauce is thicker than you’d like, add another tablespoonful of water.
Prepare the fixings: Put tomatoes, onion, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, agave nectar and salt in medium bowl and toss to combine.
Put sweet potatoes in large serving dish. Top with tomato mixture, then black beans. Finally, drizzle queso sauce evenly over top. Serve right away, with any other desired toppings.
Gena Hamshaw
Gena Hamshaw is a nutritionist and the creator of the blog The Full Helping. Her recipes have been featured in O Magazine, VegNews, Redbook and other publications. She is the author of the cookbooks Choosing Raw (2014), Food52 Vegan (2015) and Power Plates. Gena lives and works in New York City.
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