Jamaican Sweet Potato Stew

 This Jamaican Sweet Potato Stew is a favorite during the winter months, the smell that fills the house while it is cooking is amazing. It is vegan and gluten-free.  My Jamaican Pigeon Peas Stew, Vegan Jackfruit Stew, Ital Stew Recipe are other Jamaican inspired vegan stews that taste amazing served with a slice of Vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread

I love to make stews just the way my mom made hers with lots of Jamaican flavors and they always turn out amazing. I decided to make this sweet potato stew just in time for Thanksgiving. If you have never tried white sweet potato then you really should. It is quite different from the popular orange flesh sweet potato found here in the USA. 

What is Boniato or Caribbean Sweet Potato?

White sweet potato is also called Boniato, Batata, Kumara, Florida yam, camote, Cuban sweet potato,  Caribbean sweet potato. It is the most popular sweet potato that is found in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. The flavor reminds me of Japanese or Oriental sweet potato. 

It is a root vegetable or tube which has a white or beige flesh with pink or red skin. It has a firmer flesh when cooked than regular orange flesh sweet potato. White sweet potato has less water content than an orange sweet potato, so it tastes less sweet and is more starchy. 

Where Can You Purchase White Sweet Potato?

You can use white sweet potato or Boniato interchangeably with potato. Caribbean sweet potato is sold at Caribbean or West Indian supermarkets, Latino, Asian or African supermarkets. They are easy to grow in the garden as well and their leaves are edible and are enjoyed in many cultures. 

When buying sweet potato, make sure it is firm to touch with smooth skin and no blemish. 

Store your sweet potato in a cool dry place for about 10 days. It is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A, C, potassium, and fiber. 

Vegan White Sweet Potato Ingredients

What Are The Ingredients?

  1. Olive Oil – you can use oil of choice or saute with vegetable broth.
  2. Onion
  3. Bell Pepper
  4. Garlic
  5. Green Onion
  6. Thyme
  7. Parsley
  8. Allspice – this is optional but adds an authentic Jamaican flavor to the stew.
  9. Cayenne Pepper – I used a whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper
  10. Sweet Potato – substitute with regular sweet potatoes if you can’t find the Caribbean sweet potato.
  11. Butter Beans – I used this because we use butter beans a lot in our stews in Jamaica but you can substitute with kidney beans or black beans. 
  12. Coconut Milk – adds a delicious island flavor, try it.
  13. Water
  14. Vegetable Broth 
  15. Vegan Bouillon

sweet potato stew in a black pot with a spoon

To Make The Stew

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers cook and cook until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and spring onion and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add green onions, thyme, dried parsley, allspice, cayenne pepper, sweet potato, butter beans and stir to coat. 
  3. Stir in coconut milk, vegetable broth, vegan bouillon and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes
  4. Stir in leafy greens and cook for about 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste if needed.

Tip:

1. Add green leafy vegetables like kale, collard greens, spinach, or callaloo.

2. Saute a chopped vegan sausage and add to your stew when you add the leafy greens. 

3. Substitute 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning for thyme.

4. Add 1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning for more flavor.

5. Add 2 teaspoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to boost flavor.

6. This stew is great for meal prep, tastes better the following day.

How To Store Your Sweet Potato Stew?

Store your cool soup in a container with a tight-fitting lid for about 3 days in the refrigerator. Store in the freezer for 1 month. 

Other Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes To Prepare

  1. Vegan Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
  2. Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
  3. Mashed White Sweet Potato
  4. Roasted Sweet Potato Broccoli Salad
  5. Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts And Sweet Potatoes
  6. Sweet Potato Vegan Mac And Cheese
  7. Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

close up sweet potato stew in a white bowl

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sweet potato butter bean stew in a white bowl on a grey background

Jamaican Sweet Potato Stew

This hearty and flavorful Jamaican Sweet Potato Stew is loaded with chunky white sweet potatoes, cooked in a flavorful coconut vegetable broth with Jamaican flavors of thyme, scallion, allspice, and Scotch Bonnet pepper.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entrée, Main Course
Cuisine: Jamaican
Keyword: sweet potato stew
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 423kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper diced
  • 2 stalks green onions chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or your favorite cooking oil
  • 1 medium sweet potato (batata) diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked butter beans or 1-14 ounce can butter beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup coconut milk or 1-15 ounce can
  • 1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup water and 1 vegan bouillon cube
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup leafy greens

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers, and cook until onions are soft, for about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and spring onion and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add green onions, thyme, dried parsley, allspice, cayenne pepper, sweet potato, and butter beans and stir to coat.
  • Stir in coconut milk, vegetable broth, vegan bouillon and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes
  • Stir in leafy greens and cook for about 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 0.04mg | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1893IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 5mg

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11 Comments

  1. I love your recipes. However, the new website refresh has utterly broken the viewing and search experience. Some of the recipes and ingredient lists no longer match (for instance Jamaican sweet potato stew). Biggest site improvement could be to get a new host that won’t litter the page with ads. I would be happy to pay a monthly subscription to support you on this.

    1. Hi CC, I value your feedback, I had no choice but to do an update over 1100 recipes, because the Print Button wasn’t working. It is a work in progress, I did the manually transfers along with one of my staff and I’m not surprised that some of them didn’t transfer correctly. Don’t worry, I wrote the recipes before I made them, and I rarely have to test a recipe twice, once you tell me which recipe I can fix it and then do a quick test to make sure it’s correct.

      Would you believe it? I went to town today just to spend time with my husband as he ran errands, on our way I told him, I didn’t need to do any shopping when he asked. However as we were heading back, I told him I really needed to do some shopping since I don’t know when I’ll be back to town, I picked up butter beans, and guess what, I have sweet potatoes in the garden. This is all before I saw your feedback.

      I would happily do a subscription model, however, most people would not pay a dime, only very few people buy my cookbooks much less pay for a subscription, they prefer free recipes. This current model keeps me online, pays for ingredients, pays my staff, and pays my bills, and also helps families I have been helping in third-world countries for many years, as a matter of fact, some of my staff, friends, and family I help were affected by Beryl in Jamaica and I have to help them recover. The Ads help.

    2. CC, I got a backup of my old website, can you tell me if anymore of your favorite recipes didn’t transfer correctly please.

    1. Thank you for trying out our recipe and sharing your feedback with us! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the dish and that it turned out well. The substitution of scotch bonnet for cayenne is great, and we’re glad to know that it worked well with the other flavors in the dish.

    1. Lily, it should only take 8-10 minutes the most in an Instant Pot once you are using cooked beans.

    1. Nicole, I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your feedback, I appreciate it.

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