October 1 is World Vegetarian Day, which kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month. When it was created in 1977, vegetarianism was still a fringe thing. Today, 40 years later, vegetarian diets are mainstream. Most restaurants across the country offer vegetarian options on their menus, and grocery stores pack their shelves with packaged quinoa dinners, multiple brands of tofu, and other soy-based meat substitutes.
In honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month, October is a great time to think about adding more vegetarian dishes to your rotation of meals. If you're not doing it already, try Meatless Mondays for the month of October.
Are Meatless Mondays already a tradition at your house? Then add another day of the week this month — say, Thursday — and have 2 meatless dinners per week!
Mostly or entirely vegetarian already? Commit to trying some new dishes. Explore a new vegetable or grain this coming month, and have some fun with it.
Here's one of my new favorite vegetable side dishes, which can easily be made vegan. You'll need a spiralizer, a sharp knife, a large sauté pan and a juicer.
Make it Vegan
Substitute olive oil for all of the butter, and you've got a great vegan side dish that's packed with flavor.
Spiralized Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Dates
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled
- 2 apples, Honey Crisp, Gala or Fuji work great
- 1 large navel orange, juiced (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves, not ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 10 dates, pitted and quartered
- 1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Slice the red onion in half, and remove the outer skin. Trim the ends. Slice each onion half into 1/4" wedges.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil and the onion wedges. Sauté until lightly caramelized, about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Pro-Tip: For best caramelization results, do not be tempted to move the onions around a great deal while they cook. Move them around after 10 minutes, and then after 5. If they aren't yet caramelized, leave them in the pan without moving them for an additional 5 minutes.
- Using a spiralizer, use the smallest blade for slender noodles. For thicker noodles, use the blade with larger holes. While the onion caramelizes, spiralize the sweet potatoes.
- Pro-Tip: The easiest way I've found to spiralize sweet potatoes is 1) slice each potato in half, widthwise. 2) Place the small end of the sweet potato on the round metal core in the blade attachment, and 3) press the prongs into the other larger end. I place a bowl under the blade to catch the noodles. Turn the crank and you have instant amber noodles.
- Heap the sweet potato noodles into the pan with the onions. Using tongs, turn them to coat with the butter/oil and caramelized onions. Don't worry if it seems like a LOT of noodles. As they cook, the pile will reduce in size.
- Add the orange juice, toss and simmer for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Slice the apple, unpeeled, into 12 wedges. (Be sure to remove the core and seeds.)
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, and all of the spices including the salt and pepper. Pour over the sweet potatoes, add the apples and hemp hearts, toss, and continue to cook until the sweet potato noodles are tender – (about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodles.)
- Add the dates and toss. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve warm, garnished with a spray of parsley.
Cindy says
I love sweets and apples together! Dates sound like a great addition!
Rita says
This would make a great Thanksgiving side dish.
The Ninja Baker says
Mmm your dish with Fuji apples (good choice!) and potatoes and all the other yummies sing goodness!
You’ve inspired me to invest in a spiralizer =)
P.s. I feel old! I remember those days in the 70s when being a vegetarian was unique =)
Liz says
What a beautiful, flavorful dish! Thanks for hosting this fun event this week, Susan!
Sarah Reid, CNP (@jo_jo_ba) says
Wow, what vibrant colours and flavours!
Caroline says
This dish looks and sounds delicious!
Nettie says
really gorgeous color, I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes, nice with the apples! Nettie
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
YUM this almost sounds dessert like. What a great dish.
Eileen says
This is the perfect fall side dish. I haven’t used my spiralizer enough. I might have to break it out and make this for Thanksgiving!
mjskitchen says
The flavors in the dish are so unexpected – cinnamon and sage? And the dates – love it! Such a great recipe! O.K. so it much be time to buy a spiralizer.
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
Do it, MJ!! It’s a really great little tool in the kitchen!
Denise Wright says
I love the spices and flavors of this dish! I do a lot of spiralizing (not a word I know) but I’ve never tried it with sweet potatoes. Can’t wait to give this a go!
Alma Beatrice says
Very, very good! This was a huge hit with my family! I doubled the recipie, and just eyeballed the cinnamon and nutmeg.
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
I”m so happy this worked out so well for you and your family!!!! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
Yes, yes, yes, I can’t wait to break out the spiralizer and make this dish! Thank you for hosting an eye-opening Sunday Supper.