Sweet Summertime Potato Salad
Oh, sweet summertime…here at last! This Sweet Potato recipe is a subtle, blissful blend of sweet, salty and tart. I always double or triple this recipe as it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. A ¾ cup serving has 3.9 grams of fiber.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
4 cups (1L) unpeeled, cubed sweet potatoes
¼ cup (60mL) chunky chopped or whole pecans
½ cup (125mL) chopped green spring onions (scallions)
1/2 – 1 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
Dressing: (mix together)
2 tablespoons (30mL) light miso paste
¼ cup (60mL) fresh lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
1/ In a medium saucepan, steam sweet potato cubes about 10-12 minutes or until tender but still firm enough to hold their shape. Drain and cool.
2/ Combine the potatoes, pecans, green onion, and cilantro in a salad bowl.
In a cup or small bowl, mash the miso and lime juice together with a fork until creamy. Pour the miso mixture over the potato mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly.
3/ Serving suggestion: Serve with a mixed bean salad and pickled beets.
HEALTH BITES:
Sweet Potatoes are high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber. No need to remove the thin peel, just rinse and cut out any dry or bruised areas and chop or bake whole. Either varieties of sweet potato (white or orange flesh) can be used in this recipe, although I enjoy the darker moister orange flesh best (often referred to as ‘yams’). Yams, the edible root of the Dioscorea genus of plants, are grown primarily in Africa and Asia, and not typically available here. The name confusion apparently began many decades ago when African slaves, using the African word “nyami” for the sweet potatoes, was adopted into its English form, “yam”. North American grown sweet potato is a member of the Morning Glory (convolvulaceae) family. Canned sweet potatoes are usually labeled ‘yams’ although the USDA requires them to also have ‘sweet potato’ on the label.
Miso is a salty fermented paste used in Japan primarily for soup broth. There are many types of miso on the market and the flavor and color depends on the ingredients used, usually soy beans and grains like rice and barley. It can be used for soup bases, gravies and to flavor bean dips and salad dressings. Look for it in the dairy case of your grocery store or health market.
