Southwest Sweet Potato Dip

I’m always looking for new recipe sources and was happy to recently discover that Foodland Ontario has a lot of great recipes on their site. I’ve already made a couple that have turned out wonderfully - this southwest sweet potato dip being one of them!

I’ve made sweet potato hummus before but haven’t tried a regular sweet potato dip, let alone one with “southwest” flavours in it. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical about how this dip would turn out, but after my very first little taste I was hooked!

I couldn’t believe how flavourful it was, and I had to keep tasting and tasting in order to even figure out how to describe the flavour. I’m still not sure how because there’s so much going on in this dip – there’s sweetness from the potatoes, acidity from the lime, smokiness from the paprika, and spice from the cumin and cayenne. Just trust me that it all works really well together and tastes amazing!

It’s also really easy to make this dip because the sweet potatoes are cooked using the microwave, which saves a lot of time. If you want them to have a deeper flavour though, you could definitely roast them in the oven instead, it will just take a little longer before you get to enjoy the dip!

This makes a great dip for crackers, pitas, or veggies, but it also works really well as a spread for a sandwich or bagel - I liked to eat it on a toasted thin whole wheat bagel as a light afternoon snack.

I also think this would be a great addition to a Super Bowl spread, especially for those who want some healthier options available!

Southwest Sweet Potato Dip

Adapted from Foodland Ontario

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (depending on your preference – I used 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Pierce sweet potatoes in several places with a fork. Place on a paper towel and microwave on High for 5 to 9 minutes, or until tender. Cover with a towel and let stand about 5 minutes.

Once slightly cooled, peel back skin of sweet potato and scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add all other ingredients to the food processor and process until smooth. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days and serve at room temperature with chips, crackers, veggies, or as a spread on bread.