Chickpea and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Step 1. Bake the sweet potatoes: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F). Pierce each sweet potato several times all over with a fork, then place directly on the oven rack or a lined baking tray. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer or knife slides through the centre with no resistance and the skins look slightly wrinkled.

Step 2. Soften the onion: About 10 minutes before the potatoes are done, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the red onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until softened and just starting to turn golden at the edges.

Step 3. Build the filling: Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander to the pan and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Tip in the drained chickpeas, then use the back of a spoon or a fork to roughly mash about half of them — this gives the filling a creamy texture that holds together nicely while keeping some whole chickpeas for bite.

Step 4. Wilt the spinach: Add the spinach to the pan in two or three handfuls, stirring each addition until just wilted before adding the next, about 2 minutes total. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper.

Step 5. Stuff and serve: Cut each baked sweet potato open lengthways and use a fork to gently fluff and loosen the flesh. Spoon the chickpea and spinach filling generously into each potato, letting it spill over the sides. Serve immediately while everything is warm.