Miso sweet potato mash
I’m obsessed with sweet potatoes and could eat them at every meal. One of my favorite easy ways to meal prep is to bake a bunch of sweet potatoes at once, either whole and plain or cubed and seasoned. I eat them in bowls, tossed into salads, and with eggs/greens for breakfast. They’re healthy, filling, cheap, and versatile.
I discovered Japanese sweet potatoes a few years ago and have never gone back. They have reddish purple skins, and taste sweeter, creamier, and a little nuttier than the orange variety found commonly in American stores.
For this recipe, I bake the sweet potatoes because the slow cooking allows the sugars to caramelize and bring out a depth of flavor that you don’t get from boiling. However, if you’d like to peel, cube, and boil the potatoes (for about ~20-25 mins) instead, that works and will also produce a delicious end result.
I love to eat this as a side for seared salmon with cooked green veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts, or peas. I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but savory sweet is my weakness. There are many different sources of sodium (table salt, cheese, anchovies, soy sauce, fish sauce, etc), and the miso is a more complex, sweeter source of salty flavor than regular salt. It goes well with the caramelized sweet potato flavors and adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to this simple dish.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
2 med large japanese sweet potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp yellow or white miso
⅓ cup unsweetened milk of choice (whole milk, nut milk, etc)
1/2 thinly sliced scallion
Extra 1 tbsp butter + 1 tsp miso to serve (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Scrub outside of sweet potatoes to remove any dirt. Pierce all over with a fork to help steam escape. Place sweet potatoes on oven rack with a lined tray underneath to catch any drips (the sugar in the sweet potatoes can melt, drip onto the oven floor, and burn). Bake in oven for 50-60 min, depending on size of potatoes, until easily pierced with a fork.
Slice in half lengthwise, then use two spoons to hold down skin and scrape the soft park. Add to a large bowl then mix with 2tbsp butter, 1 tbsp miso, and 1/3 cup milk (I used unsweetened oat milk, but use what you have). Taste and add more miso if needed - different kinds vary in saltiness.
To serve, top with sliced scallions. For optional added decadence, melt an extra 1 tbsp butter + 1 tsp miso in the microwave for 30 seconds, then drizzle over the top.
all photos taken by the lovely Ophelia Ding