The Case for Sweet Potatoes (Revisited)
I’m reexamining why I prefer sweet potatoes over pumpkins to create mouthwatering sweet or savory dishes during autumn.
There’s a decidedly gray hue to the increasingly colder days. Winter can’t be far away. The birds, those that remain, are busy grabbing whatever food they can find. Their favorites are tomatoes left on the vine, figs too high up the tree for any human to reach, and any sunflower seeds left on the drooping heads.
I’m also busy gathering the underground roots and tubers kissed by this year’s first frost. It’s cold and wet, making digging into the muddy soil unpleasant.
My focus was to gather all of the sweet potatoes – leaving them in the overly soggy soil seemed far too risky. I planted just two plants last spring, which has produced a prodigious harvest. My probing hands quickly found and pulled up dozens of long, thin, purple sweet potatoes – a slight variation from previous years. And after 30 minutes, I harvested well over 5 kilograms (11 pounds) from one box in my urban garden.
My neighbors have more traditional orange and white-fleshed varieties, so after some strategic swapping, we are all satisfied with a rainbow of sweet potatoes that should last the remainder of the year.
This sweet potato focus had me thinking about my article from last October. It occurred to me there are hundreds of new readers to VeganWeekly who may have missed that first entry. So, it made a lot of sense to me to update the article, conduct a bit of needed editing, and fine-tune the four recipes I have included in this updated article.
All the information below, including the lead-ins to 4 recipes, is free to access. The recipes are restricted to paid supporters of VeganWeekly, which you can do by clicking on the green button (and if you decide to support my work, you will receive 20% off my annual rate).
Sweet potatoes have lived a one-dimensional existence in my head. Sure, I occasionally enjoyed eating a roasted sweet potato, and they were mainly ok – not exceptional or exciting. And when I compared them to pumpkins, sweet potatoes were second-class ingredients and not part of my usual autumn culinary creations.
My power rankings changed dramatically last year, and sweet potatoes became my fall obsession.
My newly discovered respect for sweet potatoes started when I decided to fill one of my urban garden boxes with a few different varieties of sweet potatoes. I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t even sure how the plant would look once it matured. To my delight, it looked like an average house plant – the big green leaves with wiry stems reminded me of ivy...I guess it is not surprising since it is a member of the morning glory family. As the summer months relentlessly moved toward autumn, the plants produced beautiful tubular flowers with purple interiors...a sure sign that the roots below were developing into swollen edible tips. I started to anticipate the first harvest, now only weeks away. And when that day arrived, my hand dug into the earth and met a large sweet potato. I couldn’t help smiling and feeling satisfied. I dug up 2 or 3 more sweet potatoes and headed straight to my kitchen with growing anticipation.
My freshly harvested sweet potatoes were delicious. They only required 20 minutes in a hot oven...and I didn’t invest much time, money, or energy to produce something tasty and nutritious. Those are bonus points in my go-to ingredient power rankings.
As expected, eating something I grew myself helped me evaluate sweet potatoes from a different perspective. This is precisely what happened when I tasted my first harvest of pumpkins, Swiss chard...or chili peppers. Still, I kept thinking I was missing something about sweet potatoes – something that might help me understand why these vegetables rank among the most important food crops in the world (after rice, wheat, corn, and sorghum).
Then, I turned to my favorite food scientist, Harold McGee, and social media acquaintance and pastry chef extraordinaire, Stella Parks, to see what they thought about sweet potatoes.
McGee went into great detail about how starches convert to sugars at low cooking temperatures, creating sweet potatoes with a nutty aroma and caramel-like flavor. The key was slow-roasting at a temperature below 160°C (320°F), allowing an enzyme to work and turn starch into sugar. High-temperature roasting kills the enzyme before it can complete its task...and that was enough to convince me to try it and taste the results.
I compared different varieties of sweet potatoes, using high and low temperatures for times ranging between 25 minutes and 2 hours. My results were conclusive. The slow-roasted sweet potatoes, regardless of variety, tasted much sweeter than those roasted in a hot oven for a short time.
I was convinced I had found the best way to prepare sweet potatoes. I’m sure the experts agreed that slow-roasting sweet potatoes create the best purée for a pie I’ve always wanted to try making – sweet potato pie.
I was wrong.
In Stella Park’s article on the Serious Eats website, she argues that an old American method of boiling orange-fleshed sweet potatoes works best – especially if they are boiled in milk and cream. Her reasoning was simple – the milk and cream created toffee-like notes, and the sweet potato’s flavor remained fresh. I tried it...replacing the milk and cream with soy milk and oat cream. The purée was the best bit of food I’ve put into my mouth this season – I turned into a child who couldn’t get enough of that first taste of sugary sweetness hitting my tongue. When I finally made the pie, I concluded there was no reason ever to consider making another pumpkin pie.
Sweet Potatoes are Better Than Pumpkins
Sweet potatoes offer a range of flavors, colors, and textures...just like pumpkins. They are abundant and relatively inexpensive...just like pumpkins. They can be cooked in many ways...just like pumpkins. They store reasonably well in cool and dark locations...just like pumpkins.
So why are they better?
For me, it’s all about flavor...and sweet potatoes offer much more flavor than most pumpkins. Try my slow-roasted sweet potato recipe and discover how deliciously rich, creamy, and flavorful sweet potatoes are when served with only a pinch of sea salt. Do the same with a pumpkin, and it will scream, “I need more spice...or fat...or seasoning.” The same is true with my Sweet Potato Pie recipe – there’s no need to layer spice after spice to create flavor; it’s already bursting with toffee and caramel in a perfectly set custard.
Sweet potatoes also produce less food waste than a pumpkin. The shell of most pumpkins needs some trimming. The seeds are generally removed. The yield is typically around 40% for a pumpkin, compared to a 90-100% yield for sweet potatoes.
I’m not anti-pumpkin. I’ve learned to love them for what they are. I’ve even created some delicious pumpkin recipes...and, my favorite recipes are made using Japanese-style kabocha varieties – the ones with a dry, flaky interior when cooked and with a flavor very similar to...sweet potatoes.
So, this year, I remain all in on sweet potatoes...and I will not be participating in the pumpkin-spiced-everything craze. I’m going to keep it simple with sweet potatoes.
This Week’s Recipes…
Anyone can look at the index of my published recipes, but the links are restricted to those who support my work through a paid subscription. Please consider subscribing or updating your current subscription…or contact me if you want to organize a free trial.
Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
This method works with all varieties of sweet potatoes.
When I use roasted sweet potatoes as a featured or side dish, I often mix it up and use several different types with varying sweetness and colors; it’s pleasing to the eye and interesting to taste.
Roasting sweet potatoes is an excellent technique when using the interior for a puree. The skins easily slip off, and the flesh can be worked through a potato ricer (a handy item in any kitchen) to create a fine puree.
Sweet Potato and Jerusalem Artichoke Cream Soup
Jerusalem artichokes – sometimes called sunchokes – have no relation to artichokes and aren’t particularly popular in Jerusalem...and the name doesn’t end the mystery surrounding this tuber.
Most people have no idea what to do with this fall vegetable. That’s too bad because the warm sunflower flavor, accented with a hint of water chestnuts, is intriguing and delicious. Once cooked, Jerusalem artichokes become soft and starchy, making them a perfect ingredient for pureed soups.
I chose sweet potatoes for this recipe to lend a touch of sweetness to balance the earthiness of the Jerusalem artichokes. The chili powder elevates the soup and creates a burst of flavor...and an appealing tickle in the throat. A few tablespoons of Garlicky Lemon-Walnut Crumble adds texture to the soup and another layer of intense flavor.
This is a simple soup to prepare. It adds uniqueness to any festive table during the colder months. It’s also a perfect starting point for anyone wishing to explore Jerusalem artichokes.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Oil
Sweet potato gnocchi are light, delicately flavored, and highly satisfying to eat with a light sauce or oil and sage leaves. Roasting sweet potatoes to produce the purée is my preferred method. Boiling or even microwaving sweet potatoes results in bland flavors…and I want my gnocchi to develop as much sweetness and flavor as possible – and that’s best achieved by roasting.
The flour and starch amounts depend on the sweet potato used to make the purée. Some are drier than others and require less flour. Others might have more moisture and require more flour to achieve the correct consistency. Unlike potato gnocchi, the dough for sweet potatoes is much softer. Work with light hands and a well-floured surface, and avoid putting too much flour in the dough, which develops gluten and a chewy consistency.
See the Tips and Variations below for instructions on making these gnocchi gluten-free.
Make Ahead Note: Sweet potato gnocchi freeze very well. Portion pre-cooked gnocchi into freezer bags, seal, and freeze for up to 6 months. Place frozen gnocchi into simmering, salted water for 3-5 minutes, then sauté as instructed.
Sweet Potato Pie
The inspiration for this recipe came from Stella Parks, pastry chef extraordinaire and cookbook author. Over the years, I’ve veganized several of her recipes, and I was always impressed with how well her techniques worked to create a successful recipe – even with my vegan variations.
Stella’s Sweet Potato Pie recipe exemplifies my latest vegan transformation success – and what a grand success, too!
It is essential to use the correct sweet potato for this recipe. Any sweet potato with an orange interior works best (for example, try using a Garnet variety). I tried oat, rice, and soy milk for this recipe. Soy milk was the clear winner, producing a purée that appears identical to Stella’s version that uses milk. I relied heavily on my previous work with custards to replace the eggs and decided to keep things simple in this recipe. I used a basic store-bought egg replacer containing only starch, then added 2 additional tablespoons of corn starch. Of course, using a damn good vegan pastry that is properly pre-baked helps to improve the probability of success.
Special Equipment: Use a 23 cm (9 inches) round pie pan. Using an immersion blender to create the purée helps make a silky-smooth puree – all in one pan or pot.
Make Ahead Note: The custard can be made several days in advance. Keep it refrigerated until ready to use. Pour directly into the prepared pie crust or gently heat until smooth and pliable to create a soft top.
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What’s your position – do you prefer sweet potatoes over pumpkins (winter squash)?
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Ah thanks Jack, I have made it from your recipe several times but had forgotten about that bit at the bottom. I quite like that idea of adding it to the garden soil, might give that a go. Thanks.
Hi Jack, I'm tee'ing everything up to have a go at the sweet potato pie, sounds delish. Been meaning to ask about oat cream, quite a few of your recipes require it but I never know what to do with the leftover oats and I don't like throwing away all that good fibre. I'm not a big fan of smoothies and your snack bars require dry oats. Any suggestions?