This vegan sweet potato hash with tempeh recipe is a protein packed dish that’s perfect for breakfast or dinner. Flavored with chipotle chiles and cumin for southwestern flair! Top with avocado, cilantro and hot sauce.

There’s a few dishes that I make variations of over and over again, template meals I never get bored of or when I do, I can easily switch up the ingredients to make it feel new! Potato hash is one of them. It’s budget friendly, simple to throw together on a weeknight, and the leftovers are easy to reheat for breakfast or lunch.

I’ve been making variations of this vegan sweet potato hash, a recipe I found in Martha Stewart’s Meatless, for years now. Flavored with spicy, smoky chipotles in adobo sauce, cumin and plenty of garlic, it’s packed with southwestern flavors. With both black beans and tempeh, a type of soy-protein, it’s also a protein packed vegan meal that totally satisfies.

How to Make This Vegan Sweet Potato Hash Recipe

This vegan sweet potato hash recipe is really simple to throw together! I boil the sweet potatoes first to help them cook in the skillet, since the sugars in sweet potatoes sometimes burn before they are tender when you pan-fry them. While the sweet potatoes boil, the tempeh marinades in the smoky adobo sauce that comes with canned chipotles.

After draining the sweet potatoes and letting them dry a bit, I fry them in a neutral flavored oil until they’re just starting to take on color. Then I add kale, usually with a few tablespoons of water to help the sweet potatoes steam and the kale wilt. Next comes the spices and garlic, and finally the tomatoes, tempeh and black beans to warm through.

Vegan Sweet Potato Hash Ingredient Notes

Sweet potatoes // I like to use sweet potatoes in this recipe to give it some sweet and spicy flavor. Look for medium sweet potatoes with no cuts or cracks.

Chipotle chiles in adobo // These are dried and smoked jalapenos that are canned in a tangy tomato sauce. Look for these in the Mexican section of your grocery store. I like to freeze extras to pull out and use later.

Tempeh // Tempeh is a vegan protein made from fermented soybeans that are pressed into a cake. It’s traditional to Indonesia. If you’ve never tried it, tempeh has a firm but crumbly texture and earthy flavor. I really love to use it in recipes to replicate ground meat, like my vegan chorizo and potato tacos and vegan ragu.

Cumin // The cumin amps up the smoky flavor in this vegan sweet potato hash.

Kale // The kale adds a little bit of bitter bite to this hash, and pretty green color. Be sure to remove the thick stems, which take much longer to cook.

Black beans // The black beans add a dose of fiber and protein to this dish. I use canned to save time.

Vegan Sweet Potato Hash Recipe Adaptions

Feel free to use regular white potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. If you do, feel free to skip the step of boiling in advance, as I find white potatoes don’t burn as easily when skillet fried.
This dish is also tasty with some Mediterranean flavors. Skip the chipotle chiles and try ras el hanout spice blend (add with the cumin) or marinate the tempeh with harissa paste.
Instead of kale, feel free to swap other greens like spinach (add it at the end with the black beans since it takes less time to cook) or swiss chard.
If you don’t like tempeh, leave it out or swap another protein. If you eat meat, this recipe is tasty with sausage, or use veggie sausage! Just brown it in the skillet first then add it back towards the end.
For even more of a protein boost, top this recipe with a fried egg!

This vegan sweet potato hash recipe was originally posted December 2013. It has been updated to give you the best possible content.

If you like this vegan sweet potato hash recipe, follow my favorite vegan recipes Pinterest board for more cooking inspiration.

Vegan Sweet Potato Hash with Tempeh

Serves: 4ish

Adapted from Martha Stewart Meatless

Ingredients

4 small sweet potatoes, diced in 1/2-inch cubes
1 chipotle chili in adobo, minced plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
8 ounces tempeh, crumbled
2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 handfuls of chopped, stemmed kale
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 scallions, sliced
1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
Sliced avocado, for serving

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and boil until mostly tender, about 10 minutes.
Toss together crumbled tempeh and adobo sauce, set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add potatoes. Cook without moving for a few minutes, then flip with a spatula. Continue to cook, flipping with a spatula every few minutes or so, until browned and tender. Add kale. Cook 4-5 minutes until mostly wilted, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed to help it wilt. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook an additional 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add tomatoes and scallions. Cook another 2 minutes until tender. Stir in black beans, reserved marinated tempeh and cook until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with cilantro, hot sauce and avocado.