Easy and delicious miso sweet potato
Japanese sweet potato in a savory miso sauce - as delicious as it is good for you!
One of my all time favorite dishes is Nasu Dengaku - a traditional Japanese dish of tender broiled eggplant slices brushed with a sweet miso glaze. It is one of the best things I have ever tasted in my whole damn life.
I didn’t have an eggplant on hand when the craving for it hit me this week, but I did have a Japanese sweet potato. It’s nothing like an eggplant but it does pair really well with miso; it’s dry, firm, starchy and sweet, and compliments a deep, nutty, sorta salty-sweet, rich miso sauce perfectly if you ask me.
So I made a sweet potato miso instead, and it turned out really, really well.
This dish is super easy to make, uses minimal (but delicious) ingredients, and is clean as can be my friends.
Read on for everything I love about it.
Healthwise…
I’m a big fan of Japanese sweet potato. They’re sweet and delicious, fibrous and loaded with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help you maintain good health. I’ve recently learned that they have anti-aging properties, too, via Vitamin A and C and Hyaluronic acid, so YES to more Japanese sweet potato!
This miso sauce is super clean (a clean sauce is kinda my thing). Minimal oil and very little sugar or fat in this one, so if weight loss or management is a concern there is no need to worry… Eat as much as you like.
Miso is one of my favorite health promoting foods. It’s made from fermented soybeans and it’s filled with millions of beneficial bacteria, which can help with a range of health issues, including digestion and gut health (just make sure it’s an unpasteurized, live, enzyme-rich variety). For something so deeply flavorful, it’s also low cal, sugar, fat and gluten free. It makes a great base for sauce and marinades, and I use it constantly.
Why It’s So Damn Convenient
This is a very convenient dish if you ask me. Here’s why:
The ingredients are simple and minimal. You probably have most of them on-hand, or can find them easily at your local grocer or market.
It requires basically zero fussing in the kitchen. Let your potato roast in the oven, whip up the sauce using one bowl and a whisk, slice your roasted potato open, pour on the sauce, roast for another handful of minutes, garnish and enjoy. That’s it.
It’s an easy side dish/appetizer that requires minimal effort if you’ve got a lot on your plate (no pun intended) with your main course.
Love it as an easy midday snack.
Keep scrolling to check out the full recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Miso Sweet Potato
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Yields: 1-2
Ingredients:
1 medium Japanese sweet Potato
1 green onion, sliced (green parts only)
1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
(For the sauce)
1 tbsp sweet white miso paste
1 tsp mirin
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable broth
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 415°F.
Wash your sweet potato and prick it all over with a fork or pairing knife.
Once oven is heated, place the sweet potato on the center rack, with a parchment lined baking sheet below. Roast for 40-45 minutes, or until soft.
Remove from the oven and let cool (enough so you can hold it without burning yourself).
While your sweet potato cools, prepare your sauce. Whisk together the miso, mirin, maple, vegetable broth and sesame oil.
Split the sweet potato lengthwise, and place it back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the flesh of the sweet potato with miso sauce, then return to the oven to roast for about 10 minutes, or until the miso topping is nicely browned.
Remove from oven and let cool. Fluff the flesh with a fork to mix the sweet potato and sauce, top with green onions and sesame, and enjoy!
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