VEGAN SWEET POTATO HASH BROWNS WITH SPINACH AND AVOCADO

A delightful, savory breakfast that is 100% plant-based and gluten-free. Traditionally, most hash brown recipes use butter, all-purpose flour, and/or eggs. Our vegan sweet potato hash browns are very different from that. Plus, they are healthy, crispy and so yummy!

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Over the past few years, sweet potatoes have been branded as healthy — and are even called a superfood — while regular potatoes have been given a bad rep. Read on to find out the truth about both tubers.

Sweet Potatoes vs Normal Potatoes

We all know we have to avoid refined sugar and carbs coming from refined grains such as pasta and bread, but did you know that regular potatoes fall into this category too despite being a whole food?

If you are craving a starchy meal, it is better to get your carb hit from foods such as sweet potatoes, parsnips, kohlrabi, red beet, celeriac, pumpkin, and tiger nuts.

Why? Regular potatoes contain a harmful compound, called solanine. Solanine is a toxic saponin. Saponins are bitter-tasting, toxic plant-derived organic chemicals that have a foamy quality. Hence their use in the soap and shampoo industry.

When we eat too many foods containing saponins, they might harm the cell membranes in our gut, causing certain compounds to leak from our gut into our blood stream. This can have severe effects on our health.

Though eating regular potatoes on occasion will not harm our gut, it is better to avoid them on a daily basis. The average American eats about 120 pounds (or 55kg) of potatoes each year. In my home country, they love their taters even more. The average Belgian, eats a whopping 88kg of potatoes a year.

Regular potatoes are not related to sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes and yams do not contain solanine, making them the better option for your health.

Servings

2 people

Ready In:

25 min

Calories:

256 (per serving)

Good For:

Breakfast, Side Dish

Introduction

About this Recipe

By: Amy Goodrich

Looking for a nutritious, filling, savory breakfast you’ll jump out of bed for?

Chia puddings, vegan yogurt bowls, and green smoothies are great breakfast options on weekdays when you don’t have much time. But sometimes, you aren’t looking for a sweet, quick morning fix. We will not be surprised if these vegan sweet potato hash browns become your favorite savory breakfast too!

Ingredients

½ ripe avocado, sliced

For the hash browns

2 sweet potatoes, grated (about 2 cups grated)
½ cup onion, grated
2 tbsp buckwheat flour (or any other gluten-free flour)
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp smoked paprika powder
Pinch of chili powder or flakes
½ tsp cumin powder
Himalayan pink salt and black pepper to taste

For the spinach mix

2 cups fresh spinach, shredded and packed
⅓ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic/ginger paste
Himalayan pink salt and black pepper to taste

FYI: we always keep garlic ginger paste in the fridge as we use both spices in many of our dishes. We use equal parts of ginger and garlic to make the paste. Blend and store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Meet the powerhouse rock stars of this dish

Nutrition

This recipe has all you need to start the day fully energized. It houses a wide range of healthy nutrients such as proteins, healthy fats, dietary fibers, calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin A and C, among many other nutrients your body needs to thrive.

Though breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day – everything we eat is equally important to nourish our body – starting your day with sweet potato hash browns will fill you up and give you the energy you need to start your weekend.

The nutrition information below is based on eating 2,000 calories a day. You may eat fewer or more calories a day depending on your age, gender, activity level, current weight, and whether you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight.

Dietary fiber 38% 38%
Carbs 14% 14%
Fat 14% 14%
Protein 11% 11%
Calories 12.8% 12.8%

NOTE:

The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight.

This amounts to:

56 grams per day for the average sedentary man
46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Grate the sweet potato and onion. Add to a bowl and squeeze out most of the liquid. Then add the herbs and buckwheat flour. Mix well and form the mixture into 4 patties. Set aside.

Step 2

Cook the bell pepper over medium heat until it starts to soften. Add garlic and ginger paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the sweet potato hash browns in coconut oil until golden brown.

Step 4

Add to a plate. Top with the sliced avocado and spinach. Add a few chili flakes to taste if you like it spicier.

fyi: HOW TO SPROUT AN AVOCADO SEED

Next time you’re making a green smoothie with avocado, guacamole, or an avocado salad, try saving your pits to grow into avocado trees.

It’s fun and in a few years, you will be able to harvest your own avocados. Avocado trees do best at moderately warm temperatures (15.5C or 60F to 29.5C or 85F) with moderate humidity. Though we are able to grow them too in our tropical garden.

It’s surprisingly easy to grow an avocado tree from seed. Plus, it makes a great educational project to do with your kids.

How to grow an avocado tree

Remove and clean the seed without cutting it. Be careful not to remove the brown skin of the seed – that’s the seed cover.
Figure out which end will sprout the root – Avocado pits have a ‘bottom’ from where the roots will grow and a ‘top’ from which the sprout will grow. The pointier end is the top while the flat end is the bottom.
Carefully pierce the seed with 3 toothpicks – Place three toothpicks, evenly spaced around the circumference of the avocado, at a slight downward angle so the avocado base can rest in the water when you set this over a glass.
Place the avocado seed half-submerged in a glass of water – Change the water every few days and add more water if you notice the seed isn’t submerged anymore. Place the seed on a windowsill with sunlight.
Wait for the avocado tree to sprout – This can take anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks depending on your climate.
Plant the tree when it is about 15 cm (or 6 inches) tall. Plant the tree in a sunny spot as avocados love the sun. Plus, when planting leave the top half of the seed exposed.

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