Sweet Potato
Spicy Chicken Barley Soup with Sweet Potato and Spinach
From Melissa Clark’s Kitchen
Serves 6 to 8
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups low-sodium or good homemade chicken broth
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed well
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedges, for serving
In a large soup pot over high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and salt and sauté until limp, about 3 minutes. Add all the spices and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for another minute, until darkened but not burned. (If tomato paste gets too dark too quickly, reduce the heat.)
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
Return the heat to high if you lowered it, then add the broth, 2 cups water, and the barley to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook until the barley and sweet potato are soft, 30 minutes to 1 hour more, adding more water to the pot if necessary (it should not get too thick; this is soup, not stew). Add the chicken, partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the spinach and cilantro to the pot and simmer until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the lemon juice and more salt, if desired. Serve garnished with cilantro with lemon wedges on side.
Curried Sweet Potato and Leek Pie
From Shaya by Alon Shaya
Serves 6 to 8
1 medium sweet potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 ½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt, divided
6 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon hawaij (recipe below)
1 recipe flaky pie crust, pre-baked and cooled
½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Peel the sweet potato, and chop it into ½-inch pieces.
Melt the butter in a lidded skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, leek, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt; give everything a good stir so it’s coated in the fat, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let the vegetables sweat and soften until the sweet potato is tender but holding its shape and the leek has a soft, melting texture, 15 to 20 minutes. (If your skillet isn’t nonstick, you’ll need to come back and give it a stir every few minutes.) Set aside to cool.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and beat them together with the yogurt, cream, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and hawaij. When the vegetables have cooled enough so they won’t scramble the eggs, fold them into the custard, and pour into the pre-baked shell.
Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the plate halfway through; it’s done when the top is golden brown all over, just barely set in the center. Scatter the Pecorino in tufts all over the top of the pie, and serve warm or at room temperature.
From Melissa Clark’s Kitchen
Serves 6 to 8
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups low-sodium or good homemade chicken broth
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed well
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedges, for serving
In a large soup pot over high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and salt and sauté until limp, about 3 minutes. Add all the spices and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for another minute, until darkened but not burned. (If tomato paste gets too dark too quickly, reduce the heat.)
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
Return the heat to high if you lowered it, then add the broth, 2 cups water, and the barley to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook until the barley and sweet potato are soft, 30 minutes to 1 hour more, adding more water to the pot if necessary (it should not get too thick; this is soup, not stew). Add the chicken, partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the spinach and cilantro to the pot and simmer until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the lemon juice and more salt, if desired. Serve garnished with cilantro with lemon wedges on side.
Curried Sweet Potato and Leek Pie
From Shaya by Alon Shaya
Serves 6 to 8
1 medium sweet potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 ½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt, divided
6 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon hawaij (recipe below)
1 recipe flaky pie crust, pre-baked and cooled
½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Peel the sweet potato, and chop it into ½-inch pieces.
Melt the butter in a lidded skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, leek, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt; give everything a good stir so it’s coated in the fat, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let the vegetables sweat and soften until the sweet potato is tender but holding its shape and the leek has a soft, melting texture, 15 to 20 minutes. (If your skillet isn’t nonstick, you’ll need to come back and give it a stir every few minutes.) Set aside to cool.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and beat them together with the yogurt, cream, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and hawaij. When the vegetables have cooled enough so they won’t scramble the eggs, fold them into the custard, and pour into the pre-baked shell.
Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the plate halfway through; it’s done when the top is golden brown all over, just barely set in the center. Scatter the Pecorino in tufts all over the top of the pie, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Sweet Potato and Kale Tortilla Soup
From Feast by Sarah Copeland
Serves 4 to 6
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
1 tsp chili powder
¾ ground cumin
1 large sweet potato, cut into bite-size cubes
5 to 6 cups vegetable stock or water
One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
Sea salt
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
4 corn tortillas, thinly sliced
Full-fat plain or Greek yogurt for dolloping
Queso fresco for sprinkling
Fresh cilantro leaves for sprinkling
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped (optional)
4 radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
4 to 6 limes, cut into wedges
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sweet potato, stock, and tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Add ¼ tsp salt, cover loosely, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are completely tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the kale, and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels and set near the stove. In a small, shallow skillet, heat 1 inch olive oil over medium heat. To test the temperature of the oil, drop a tortilla strip into the skillet; the oil should sizzle and the tortilla cook to a pale golden brown. If it turns dark brown quickly or the oil is smoking, reduce the heat. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the tortilla strips with a slotted spoon to the paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fried tortilla strips, yogurt, queso fresco, and cilantro, plus additional toppings such as avocado and radishes at your shim. Serve warm with the lime wedges.
From Feast by Sarah Copeland
Serves 4 to 6
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
1 tsp chili powder
¾ ground cumin
1 large sweet potato, cut into bite-size cubes
5 to 6 cups vegetable stock or water
One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
Sea salt
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
4 corn tortillas, thinly sliced
Full-fat plain or Greek yogurt for dolloping
Queso fresco for sprinkling
Fresh cilantro leaves for sprinkling
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped (optional)
4 radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
4 to 6 limes, cut into wedges
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sweet potato, stock, and tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Add ¼ tsp salt, cover loosely, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are completely tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the kale, and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels and set near the stove. In a small, shallow skillet, heat 1 inch olive oil over medium heat. To test the temperature of the oil, drop a tortilla strip into the skillet; the oil should sizzle and the tortilla cook to a pale golden brown. If it turns dark brown quickly or the oil is smoking, reduce the heat. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the tortilla strips with a slotted spoon to the paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fried tortilla strips, yogurt, queso fresco, and cilantro, plus additional toppings such as avocado and radishes at your shim. Serve warm with the lime wedges.
