I love a little grilled sweet potato side. This version with dill pickle salsa verde might be the best that I’ve worked on to date. Slices of Japanese sweet potato get a little char on the grill that works so nicely with the sweet, starchy interior. Then we top that with herby, briny, dill pickle-y salsa verde and a dab of vegan sour cream. Every bite of these grilled Japanese sweet potatoes is fluffy, caramelized, peppery and sparkling with an acidic punch. This recipe features a play on the mixed herb salsa verde from my vegan squash patties recipe.
The first time I tried roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with Italian-style salsa verde was at Botanica in Silver Lake. It made quite the impression! The fluffy and caramelized edges of the sweet potato mingling with vinegary, grassy, slightly bitter and caper-flecked dollops of salsa verde just hit me the right way.
This is an extra summery variation with a little dill pickle accent. Fresh dill really makes it all sing. The tart punch of finely chopped pickles is totally at home in this slightly mashed up recipe concept. Japanese sweet potatoes are noticeably more starchy and drier than the Garnet/Beauregard varieties on first impression. This is where the juicy salsa verde and a dab of vegan sour cream (or plain yogurt) come in. They unify the whole thing. It becomes an experience!
The salsa verde can be made up to 5 days in advance. Just keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. Also, make sure that all the little “bits” are submerged on oil. You’ll want to pull it from the fridge 1 hour before serving. Hope you try these grilled Japanese sweet potatoes when you’re ready for a unique little BBQ side 🙂
Grilled Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Dill Pickle Salsa Verde
Starchy and sweet grilled Japanese sweet potatoes mingle beautifully with tangy, peppery, pickle-studded salsa verde. A unique, absolutely flavor-blasted BBQ side.
Servings 6
Ingredients
Dill Pickle Salsa Verde
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- ⅓ cup finely diced dill pickles
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated with a Microplane
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- pinch chili flakes or ground chilies
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Grilled Japanese Sweet Potatoes & Assembly
- 3 medium Japanese sweet potatoes (about 1 kilogram)
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- vegan sour cream
- chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Notes
- You truly just need a mix of green leafy herbs that include dill here. For my taste, parsley is the big tent pole herb in salsa verde, but cilantro and basil are also nice if you have those hanging around.
Instructions
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Make the salsa verde. In a medium bowl, combine the minced shallot, dill pickles, lemon zest, minced garlic, capers, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili, salt, pepper, parsley, dill, and olive oil. Give everything a thorough stir to combine. Set aside.
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Slice the sweet potatoes into ½ inch thick rounds. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, season the water with salt and drop in the sweet potato slices. Boil for 10 minutes or until they’re just starting to give when pricked with a paring knife. Drain.
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Blot the boiled sweet potato slices dry with a towel and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper on all sides.
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Preheat the grill to medium high.
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Place the sweet potato slices on the grill and leave them for 6-8 minutes. You want nice char marks on the bottom. Flip them over and cook for another 6-8 minutes or until tender.
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Place the grilled sweet potatoes on a platter and spoon some vegan sour cream and dill pickle salsa verde on top. Garnish with fresh dill and serve!
