Sweet potatoes are serving up major main character energy with their natural sweetness, vibrant colour, and versatility. From delicious (and nutritious) smoothies to a hearty soup, here are four ways to make sweet potatoes shine on your plate.  

Sweet potato smoothies with maca and orange 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 15 minutes  

Ingredients 

2 sweet potatoes
3 oranges
3 mandarins
10 small carrots
½ lemon
4 tbsp maca powder
3 tbsp honey
2 cups water 

Method 

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, oranges, mandarins, carrots and lemon.
2. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Add water if the blender is struggling to blend all the ingredients.
3. Strain through a fine sieve or thin cloth and collect all the liquid.
4. Drink immediately with ice.

 

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto/HMimages.co.za 

 

Sweet potatoes with honey & cinnamon butter 

Serves 4–6 // Cooking time 35 minutes 

  

Ingredients  

200 g butter, softened
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp chilli flakes
Pinch salt (optional)
4 large, sweet potatoes  

Method  

1. Whisk together the butter, honey, cinnamon, chilli and salt (if using). Spoon on to cling film and roll into a sausage shape, twisting the ends to close. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Wrap the sweet potatoes in double layers of heavy-duty foil and braai for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until soft.
3. Cut open the sweet potatoes while hot and top with discs of the butter.

 

Recipe & styling: Brita du Plessis
Photography: Kendall-Leigh Nash 

  

Sweet potato schnitzels 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 15 minutes  

 

Ingredients 

1 Tbsp mixed dried herbs
2 eggs, whisked
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1 cm thick slices
½ cup flour
1 cup panko crumbs
1 cup olive oil
Handful watercress
1 cup home-made honey-mustard sauce (recipe below)  

Method  

1. Whisk together the eggs and dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the sweet potato slices with the flour and dip into the egg mixture. Then coat in panko crumbs.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the schnitzels for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
4. Serve the schnitzels with fresh watercress and the honey-mustard sauce.

Healthy homemade honey mustard sauce 

Make your own honey mustard sauce at home by mixing together ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup Dijon mustard. Thin it out with olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.  

Recipes & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Samantha Pinto 

  

Sweet potato soup with crispy kidney beans 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 1 hour 

 

Ingredients 

500g purple-skin sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup kidney beans
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp paprika
Fresh thyme, to garnish  

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Wash the sweet potatoes, then use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips of skin. Place the skins on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake them for 20–30 minutes, until crispy.
3. Chop sweet potatoes into chunks and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Place on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, until soft, turning them halfway through.
4. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, then remove from the heat.
5. In a large pot, heat the vegetable stock until simmering, then add the sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Purée the soup with a stick blender.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the kidney beans and sprinkle with cumin and paprika. Fry until crispy.
7. Serve the sweet potato soup with crispy beans and sweet-potato skins, garnished with fresh thyme.

Recipes & styling: Amerae Vercueil & Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

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