Seared Sweet Potatoes with Kale & Lime Pickle from “That Sounds So Good”

Makes 2 servings

This is a vegetarian dinner that’s “both filling and virtuous,” Carla Lalli Music writes. Meaty sweet potatoes get steamed and then torn into pieces and charred. In this recipe, adapted from “That Sounds So Good: 100 Real-Life Recipes for Every Day of the Week” (Clarkson Potter), they’re paired with cooling labneh, toasty walnuts and verdant kale sauteed in lime pickle. It’s well worth seeking out a jar of lime pickle, the forceful fermented Indian condiment, to add to your repertoire.

3 small sweet potatoes (1 pound)

½ cup walnuts cup labneh

1 lime

Kosher salt; freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons Indian lime pickle 2 bunches Tuscan kale

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Fill a medium pot with a few inches of water and fit it with a steamer basket. Bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Scrub the sweet potatoes, then steam, covered, until they’re completely tender when pierced with a cake tester or skewer, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Toast the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet until they’re a couple of shades darker and fragrant, 10 minutes, tossing halfway through. Dump onto a cutting board and let cool. Place labneh in a medium bowl. Cut the lime in half and squeeze its juice into the labneh. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the lime pickle and a couple splashes of water to loosen.

Using your hands, strip the kale leaves from the stems; tear leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Wash kale; spin dry. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, then pour in 2 tablespoons oil. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, bright dark green, and browned in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the lime pickle mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a medium bowl; wipe out the skillet.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove their skins and tear flesh into large pieces. Return the skillet to high heat; pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the sweet potatoes, season with salt, and press down to flatten. Cook, undisturbed, until charred in spots on the underside, 3 minutes. Turn and cook until charred on the second side, 2 minutes more.

Spread the lime labneh onto two plates, dividing it evenly. Top with the kale and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle walnuts over, crushing them with your hands to break them into smaller pieces.

Spin it: From the Market

Greek yogurt or skyr can replace the labneh

Indian lemon pickle or spicy mango pickle can be used instead of lime pickle

Any type of kale, such as curly green or red Russian, is fine

Spin it: At Home

Almonds or cashews can replace the walnuts

Use lemon juice instead of lime juice

Any neutral oil can be substituted for olive oil

Courtesy Lauren Chung