Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Caramelised Balsamic Walnuts

Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Caramelised Balsamic Walnuts

 One of my favourite ways of passing a quiet Sunday afternoon is to make a cup of coffee and watch Chef John's latest video, which inevitably ends up taking me down a wormhole into his older recipes.



A few weeks ago I was whiling away the hours, and stumbled upon this awesome sounding potato gnocchi recipe.  Food Wishes Gnocchi Recipe I decided to give a vegan version a whirl, and the result is this very tasty and simple recipe.  I definitely recommend freezing the gnocchi on some parchment paper or similar after they've been cut - I think they hold their shape better that way - but its not strictly necessary.

This made a very nice lunch with some puy lentils, spinach and caramelised-balsamic walnuts, but I'm sure the gnocchi would also make a nice appetizer on their own.

The walnuts add a really nice crunch and bite of flavour...actually, next time I'll probably make more and just snack on them throughout the day!

Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Caramelised Balsamic Walnuts

Total Time: 20 minutes, or 1 hour if you freeze them
Serves: 4 as an appetizer or part of a larger meal

Ingredients:

For the gnocchi
4 sweet potatoes
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp and 1 tsp olive oil
1 cup to 2 cups of flour (I used 1 cup of demi-wholewheat)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Walnuts
1 cup walnuts, shelled
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

First, prepare the gnocchi.  I followed Chef John's instructions...microwave the sweet potato until fully cooked, then push through a sieve to get a fine mush.  Mix in the nutritional yeast, 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and enough flour to make a sticky dough.  I recommend watching the Foodwishes video, to see what it should look like, if you've never made gnocchi before.

Then, split the dough into 6 parts, and roll these out.  Cut into the size you prefer for your gnocchi (mine were about 1 centimeter square).  I recommend putting the gnocchi on parchment paper or similar and freezing for at least 20 minutes before cooking, to help keep the shape.  Boil in salted water for about 2 minutes, or until the gnocchi are all floating.  Drain, then toss with the remaining tbsp of olive oil and serve warm.

While the gnocchi are freezing, prepare the walnuts.  In a saucepan, heat the sugar and walnuts until the sugar begins to melt, stirring constantly.  When the sugar has melted, add the balsamic vinegar and continue to stir until the liquid has fully evaporated.  Turn off the heat and stir occasionally while it cools, to prevent yourself from ending up with a huge lump of walnuts!

Top the gnocchi with the walnuts, and serve as an appetiser or part of a larger meal.