This vegan southwest sweet potato breakfast hash is brimming with feel-good ingredients and satisfying flavors. Sweet potatoes, yellow onion, and garlic are cooked to slightly-caramelized perfection along with smoked paprika, cumin, and turmeric. A handful of fresh cilantro is folded in to add brightness and balance, but it's the toppings on this dish that take it from good to downright delicious. Fresh pico de gallo, poblano-spiced guacamole, and a chipotle cream are layered on top of the hash to create a mountain of plant-powered goodness.
A case of food blogger writer's block is a bit like getting all sparkly and shiny for a big event and having that event canceled at the last minute; I've got the dress photos, I've got the hot date recipe, but the main event writing is just. not. happening.
When faced with writer's block, my default solution is to think of every funny/embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me in hopes of narrowing that large pool of silliness down to one story that might grab your attention (prime example: the post about losing my shoe on an interview).
After nixing all of my funny/embarrassing stories for this post [e.g., the time I thought my 6th grade crush finally realized I existed when it turned out that my fly was down and he felt compelled to inform me (cares about others well-being: check) or the time I asked one of the most popular boys in my high school class to the Turnabout Dance over the phone and he responded, "Hold on, let me get my yearbook out so I can see who you are..." Thankfully he followed that statement with a "yes"], I'm left with a blank screen and the realization that although those stories still make me blush, they also make me laugh. Hindsight is 20/20, and the passage of time has the power to transform memories from mildly devastating to pretty darn hilarious.
Now that I've aired a few of my teenage grievances, I suppose it's time to describe this breakfast recipe. Dan recently informed me that I don't have enough savory breakfast recipes on Blissful Basil, and he's right. I only have a handful, and the bulk of them were written during my first year of blogging. So, this southwest sweet potato hash was created as the first of many savory breakfast building blocks, and its sturdy, reliable nature serves the purpose well.
Sweet potatoes, yellow onions, and garlic are cooked to slightly-caramelized perfection along with smoked paprika, cumin, and turmeric.
A handful of fresh cilantro is folded in to add brightness and balance, but it's the toppings on this dish that truly take it from good to downright delicious. Fresh pico de gallo, poblano-spiced guacamole, and a chipotle cream are layered on top of the hash to create a mountain of goodness.
This breakfast contains a wide array of nutrition and although hearty, it's also incredibly energizing. Rather than weighing you down or giving you a case of post-brunch drowsiness, this breakfast will fuel you far into your day.
I love the way the array of flavors (sweet, spicy, citrusy) come together to create such a vibrant and well-balanced dish. This is definitely a new go-to special breakfast in our home, and I hope it becomes one in yours, too.
📖 Recipe
Southwest Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Hash
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Guacamole
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- ½ to 1 lime
- ½ poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
- Sea salt, to taste
For the Pico de Gallo
- 1 cup diced grape tomatoes
- ½ cup finely diced white onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- sea salt to taste
For Chipotle Cream (Optional)
- ½ cup coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
For the Sweet Potato Hash
- Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic, yellow onion, sweet potatoes, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and sea salt. Let the mixture cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring just every few minutes so that the potatoes have a chance to develop a slight caramelization.
- Once the sweet potatoes are tender, turn off the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro.
For the Guacamole
- As the sweet potato hash cooks, scoop the flesh of one avocado into a bowl and mash it with a fork. Stir in the juice of ½ to one lime (or to taste), the diced poblano pepper, and sea salt, to taste.
For the Pico de Gallo
- Add the tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, and sea salt to a small bowl and stir.
For the Chipotle Cream
- Add the coconut cream, chipotle peppers, water, and sea salt to a blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is almost completely smooth.
To Assemble
- Scoop the sweet potato hash onto plates and top with the pico de gallo, guacamole, and a drizzle of the chipotle cream.
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Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
Lovely photography!! This dish is perfect for brunch!!
Ashley says
Thanks for your sweet words, Ami! It's definitely a great one for brunch; a little too time-intensive for a weekday breakfast but one that will impress on a weekend!
frugalfeeding says
That looks like an exceptional start to the day - fantastic recipe :)
Ashley says
Thank you so much!
The Vegan 8 says
I have never had sweet potatoes for breakfast and now I'm wondering why?? This looks phenomenally delicious! I absolutely love sweet potatoes and always put smoked paprika on them. I'm kind of addicted to the spice. I'll definitely need to try this for breakfast sometime when I have a little extra time in the morning...it's always rush rush with my daughter :)
Ashley says
I'm completely addicted to spice, too! I have a heavy hand when it comes to hot sauce and/or anything spicy. I hope you have the chance to try this one morning when you have a bit more time! :)
Celeste Jackson says
Those ingredients sound delicious together....can't wait to try it.
Natalie Tamara says
This looks seriously delicious! I need this kind of breakfast in my life...
Ashley says
Thanks, Natalie! I hope you have a chance to try it :)
MaryAnn says
I made this for my fiancé the other day and he was in heaven! Asked for a second helping and said this was the best thing I ever made for him. The flavors go so well well together! Thanks for the recipe, I'm sure I'll be making it a lot in the future :-)
Ashley says
Hi, MaryAnn! Thanks for taking the time to comment with such awesome feedback! I'm so glad that you and your fiancé enjoyed it so much; what a compliment that he said it was the best thing you ever made him! I'm humbled and flattered :)
Madison says
My boyfriend and I made this for brunch this weekend and we absolutely loved the hash and the pico but had a little issue with the guacamole that we are still struggling to understand. We used the 1 avocado, juice from 1 lime, 1/2 poblano pepper, and sea salt as described yet when we went to eat the guacamole, it was overwhelmingly limey. Like, assaulting how limey it was. We even added three additional avocados (because we love guac and hoped this would calm down the lime) but it barely helped. Did you happen to use an abnormally small lime in your guacamole or did we miss a vital step somewhere? Thanks!
Ashley says
Hi, Madison! I'm so glad you had the chance to make this recipe and enjoyed the hash and the pico. Regarding how limey the guacamole was, I'm so sorry about that! It shouldn't be overwhelmingly limey, but it's definitely more on the citrusy side than traditional guac to help balance the savory notes in the hash. The limes I use are typically about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, but winter citrus fruit can be a lot larger and juicier than spring/summer citrus (when I made the recipe) because it's in season. Having to add three additional avocados and still having it be overwhelming seems a bit extreme though, so it might have just been a very intense/juicy lime. I'll add a note in about this, but because citrus can vary in size I typically start with a small amount and keep adding in a bit more until it meets my taste preferences. I hope this helps in the future, and thanks for the feedback!
Stephanie says
Made this for Easter brunch today and it was a hit, even with the meat eaters! :) I'll admit, I was super lazy and bought some pico de gallo from a local Mexican restaurant and guacamole from TJ's, but altogether everything tasted delicious. Perfect combo of flavors!
Ashley says
Hi, Stephanie! It's always awesome to hear that a recipe was a hit with everyone, meat-eaters included. Totally understand buying the pico and guacamole from TJ's, as sometimes it can be a bit cumbersome to make every element from scratch. Plus, their pico and guac is delicious, so why not? Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback!
Sarah says
Hi there,
This might be a dumb question but I haven't made a lot of sweet potato dishes. I'm assuming the potatoes are peeled, but are they also baked first? Thank you!
Ashley says
Hi Sarah! Yes, they're peeled (see ingredients list) and no, they are not baked beforehand. Just follow the recipe closely and you'll be good to go! I hope you enjoy it :)
Sarah says
Thank you!
Johnny Ocampos says
Amazing! I love potato since I was a kid. So lucky I found this recipe. I will try to make one if I have time. Thank you! Let me also share something, I also follow one website which talks about vegan food and fitness, http://www.bodybyblasian.com/
take care!
James O'Shea III says
Just a comment. I had heard Coconut Oil is high in saturated fat, so I looked at a jar. You might want to switch to some other oil if you're using a tablespoon of it.
Ashley says
Hi, James! Yes, there's been a lot of hubbub and negative mainstream media buzz about coconut oil lately, which is funny because coconuts (including their oil) have always been high in saturated fat, so I'm not sure why that fact is all of the sudden a surprise to the media. Saturated fat consumption in general should be kept to a minimum (I believe the AHA recommends that less than 10% of daily calorie intake should come from saturated fats). I'm a big believer in all things in moderation, and because coconuts and coconut oil are the lone source of saturated fat in my diet, I enjoy both in moderation.
Ashley says
Also, thank you for your concern and for taking the time to comment. It really means a lot. If you sensed a bit of frustration in my first response, it wasn't at all intended for you but for the media. I find the media's perpetual fear-mongering to be incredibly disheartening and oftentimes deceiving. Especially when it comes to its extrapolation of research studies centered around food. While there's usually some granule of factual information in what they have to say, the message often strays far from the research it stemmed from (and even sound research studies almost always have room for improvement). Heck, it wasn't that long ago that there was a media rampage against kale and that's proven to be hogwash unless you're consuming the stuff by the bushelful every day.
Roslyn says
Hi I am trying this recipe in a couple of days for some vegan guests in our b&b, looks lovely can't wait to try it myself. I was just wondering can I cook sweet potato the day before or will it dis colour?
Ashley says
Hi, Roslyn! The sweet potato is definitely best made fresh, but I don't think it should discolor too much if made a day in advance. Since I haven't tested it this way myself, I can't say for certain though.
Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky says
This is so yummy and interesting sweet potato breakfast hash. I tried this kind of recipe before but this is unique. Instead of 1/2 teaspoon cumin i took 1/4! I'm also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing, Ashley!
Mandy says
Hi! This is such a great recipe! My husband absolutely loved it. Do you know how many calories per serving this is? Thanks!
Ashley says
So glad you and your husband loved it, Mandy! I don’t have nutrition facts but there are lots of great calculators online that you can simply drop the post link into to calculate.
Bella Hardy says
Definitely, I will prep sweet potato breakfast hash on the weekend for my family. Thanks, Ashley for sharing!
Samantha says
Can you freeze the hash?
Thanks :)
Ashley says
Hi, Samantha! I have a feeling that you probably can freeze the hash portion, but I can't say for certain how it reheats since I haven't tried it myself.