These Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes are inspired by the True Food Kitchen Ancient Grains bowl. These are easy to make, are sweet, salty, tangy and with a kick of heat. Bonus that my version is oil-free!
A couple of weeks ago for my husband and I’s 12th anniversary we went to the restaurant, True Food Kitchen. I posted about it on both my Facebook page and Instagram account. Apparently, many of you are fans of that restaurant. Well, we became huge fans that day, too. My favorite dish was their Ancient Grains bowl, in particular, the Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes in the bowl. Everything was good in it, but it was all pretty standard stuff…. turmeric, charred onion, snow pea, grilled portobello, avocado and hemp seeds. The star was clearly the sweet potatoes because it was an actual recipe in itself.
Let me describe to you the taste if you haven’t tried them yet from the restaurant. They are super soft sweet potatoes coated in a thick sweet, salty, tangy and spicy glaze. Honestly, the kick of heat that hits your mouth after a couple of seconds was the most delicious and pleasant surprise. To me, that spicy kick was the most crucial part of the glaze because it balanced out the salty and sweet bite.
Soooo, let’s make these amazing Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes, shall we? First, roast those babies at 415 degrees for 15 minutes, give them a toss and roast for 15 more minutes until golden brown and cooked through, but not mushy.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the AWESOME miso glaze.
Next, we want to cook the glaze just a bit with the potatoes to coat them and thicken up. Otherwise, it will just be a runny glaze over the potatoes. The best part of the restaurant version was the thick, sticky glaze. Add your roasted sweet potatoes and glaze to a large pan and cook for just a few minutes until it thickens up, creating a nice thick glaze like the restaurant version. It cooks fast, so don’t overdo it, you want some of that yummy sauce left to eat with the potatoes.
Since I had no idea what ingredients they used in their glaze, other than the obvious miso and sweet potatoes, I just used my palate to recreate it at home. Here’s a hint…I succeeded, lol! I’m telling you, this glaze I created is sweet, salty, tangy and has that exact kick of heat. I’m unsure of what type of spice they used to give their spicy heat, but when I was writing the recipe in my head as I was eating it, chili pepper paste was the first idea that came to me. Well, it gave me that exact heat, so it worked beautifully!
Another cool thing about this glaze is that it doubles as a salad dressing! Before adding it to the baked sweet potatoes and then slightly cooking it to thicken it up over the stove, it has a thin consistency, which would be absolutely fantastic on a large salad. It’s SO GOOD y’all. This honestly just shot up to being my favorite new sauce.
As always, you only need 8 ingredients (+ water) for these delicious Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes:
- orange-flesh sweet potatoes, chopped into 3/4 inch chunks, which is about 6 cups or 800 g)
- Mellow White Miso (I buy Cold Mountain brand from Sprouts)
- Agave
- low-sodium soy sauce
- lemon juice
- chili pepper paste
- toasted sesame seeds
- ground ginger powder
I hope you all make this, like now, and let me know what you think of it!
I didn’t remake the whole ancient grains bowl like the restaurant serves, because like I mentioned above, the other ingredients are fairly simple to throw together. Also, I can’t create the miso glaze and the entire bowl at just 8 ingredients. I’m not a magician. Add a grain you like, some greens, some avocado and some liquid smoke, salt & pepper to the mushrooms and you are good to go. The whole bowl had a smoky flavor, so that is why I suggest some liquid smoke.
As far as their cilantro pesto used in the bowl, I would suggest trying this Chimichurri Sauce! It is fantastic. While I didn’t create it to mimic the ancient grains bowl (theirs is full of oil), I think it would be a delicious addition anyways, as it is also pumpkin seed and cilantro based like their version.
Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 cups (800g) sweet potatoes, chopped into 3/4 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup (80g) Mellow White Miso (I buy Cold Mountain brand from Sprouts)
- 3 tablespoons (60g) Agave*
- 4 teaspoons (24g) low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons (12g) lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (10g) chili pepper paste (Found next to the tomato paste. Use 2 teaspoons for a really spicy kick.)
- 1 teaspoon (4g) toasted sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder
- 3 tablespoons (45g) water
Note: I used agave because it has a neutral sweet taste and I didn't want a maple flavor. However, if you avoid agave, feel free to use maple syrup. It's not as thick, sticky or sweet as agave, but should work.
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 415°F degrees spread the potatoes out evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes, give them a toss so they cook evenly and roast for 15-20 more minutes or until golden brown and cooked through, but not mushy. Check and taste one with a fork before removing.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
- Let them cool for about 5 minutes and then add to a large pan with the glaze over low heat. Cook for just a couple of minutes so that the glaze thickens up a bit, but doesn't cook away. Serve immediately. Add additional sesame seeds for garnish if desired. These are delicious on their own or they would go great as an entire meal served in a bowl with rice and other veggies.
Girl these look stunning and delicious. I bet the flavor profile on these gems is amazing. Sweet, spicy salty and tangy is there anything better? You never fail to impress me. I can’t believe you can have a meal and not know the ingredients but yet you can later recreate it at home. That is amazing. You have a real talent. And to top it off you are an amazing photographer that brings your dishes to life in such a real vivid and vibrant way. Is there anything you can’t do?
Thank you so much Christina!! I am totally blushing. Thank you very much for your kind words. It means so much that you enjoy the photos and recipes so much and always take the time to be so kind! I hope you love these if you try them, thanks girl!
Sesame seeds make things spicy?
No, it’s the chili pepper paste, it’s very spicy.
Oops, I see what I did…that was a typo. It’s fixed now!
Just added a link in the recipe to the kind of paste I used 🙂
That glaze sounds amazing! I’m putting this recipe on my “must try” list!
Thank you so much Dianne!
I’ve got a large tube of harisa, which is a spicy Middle Eastern chili pepper paste. Is that similar to what you used?
Hi Laurie! I’ve never bought harisa, so I’m not sure if it’s as spicy or more than the chili pepper paste, but I would add 1 teaspoon to the glaze and taste it and add more if you like. Keep in mind when you heat it, it will concentrate a tad more in heat and flavor.
Just added a link in the recipe to the kind of paste I used 🙂
Screw the other ingredients! These potatoes are all I need! I’ve had this dish and it’s so good, but I too LOVE the amazing sweet yet tangy yet spicy flavor of those potatoes! I think I would drink this sauce in itself. YUM, totally putting it on my must make list.
No need to recreate the whole bowl because it really doesn’t matter what else you pair with these potatoes as long as that totally irresistible sauce is covering ALL of it!! And generously too! You know I’ve been waiting for this to pop up in my inbox ever since that IG post. I’d say you more than nailed it, and with gorgeous photos to boot. Besides the deliciously sauce-drippy photos, what really draws me in is the fact that you hit pretty much hit every tastebud at the same time–savory, sweet, salty, spicy, tangy. It sounds like the most balanced, well-rounded sauce ever! I can imagine this coating so many things. Just a big pan of all sorts of veggies and roots roasted and then finished with the miso glaze–yep that sounds like a dream meal. And easy even. I love the recipe inspiration bonus of a nice meal out, always a fun challenge 🙂
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! My son loves sweet potatoes. I’ll have to make these for him!
could I use sriracha instead of the chili pepper paste? would you have a better substitution?
Thanks!
could I use sriracha instead of the chili pepper paste? would you have a better substitution?
Thanks!
Also… If I only have a red miso, how much would you recommend?
Hi there! I have never used red miso, so I can’t compare what the flavor would be to the mellow white miso I used. I have no idea. I guess you could try starting with 3 tablespoons and see if you want more, but I can only vouch for the one used above. Since it’s the main ingredient, it’s pretty important. Sriracha as well has a different taste than chili pepper paste, the ingredients are very different, so you would have to add to taste to your spice level. Sriracha has vinegar and sugar added, so it’s a totally different taste. Let me know if you try it!
I’m going to try the recipe with gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) in place of the chili pepper paste. I think the flavor profile of gochujang may go really well with this! Excited to try
Hi Jen! Oh yes, love gochujang, but since there is already miso paste in this recipe, it might be a tad too salty, so I’d really only add a tiny amount. The chili paste is only there for the spicy aspect, so you could even just use hot sauce, cayenne or red pepper flakes if you wanted and that would work well!
Okay, thanks so much for the tip.
This looks mouthwatering, Brandi!
Who needs the rest of the meal when you can just eat a big bowl of these? I would be perfectly happy. They sound awesome. I am loving the combination of flavours and sticky textures. I love your suggestion for using the sauce as a salad dressing too. That would be great!
Thank you so much Mel! It’s SO good on a salad!
These look so delicious! I can see why you loved them so much. The sauce sounds drinkable! Love the spicy kick in there.
Thank you so much Jenn!
Wow this sounds and looks so amazing, Brandi ! Miso is one of my favorite flavors so I’m in for a big bowl. Just looking at your pictures makes me hungry! I’m drooling!
Thank you so much Florian!
I’ve had that bowl at TFK, and it’s amazing. Love the sauce, I can’t wait to try your version. 🙂
Thank you Linda! It’s so good!
You captured my attention with miso-glazed but sweet potatoes sealed the deal. I so need to make this!
Haha, perfect combo! Thank you Alisa!
These look absolutely delicious, I love sweet potato on it’s own but this has taken them to the next level.
Thank you so much!
Hi from England!
My father, Dr. Frey Richard Ellis, was President of the Vegan Society in the U.K. in the 1960’s. I have been Vegan for 60 years since I was 12, but I am always looking for exciting Vegan dishes. This sweet potato dish is fantastic…. in fact unbelievable.
I shall be looking at your recipes with enthusiasm from now on.
Just one observation – I am an absolute fanatic about the English language, and instead of ‘8 ingredients or LESS’ it should strictly be ‘8 ingredients or FEWER!!’ (e.g. I have less money, but fewer coins). End of English lesson!!
LOL Fiona
Hi there! See, now 8 ingredients or fewer sounds really ridiculous to me, lol! The same example could be “I have less than 8 ingredients, what can I make for dinner?” The word “less” certainly works and makes sense. I’ve seen several books over the years with an ingredient number focus and they all say “less” as well. I think people get the idea of my blog tagline, lol! It’s meant to be short and catchy and memorable.
Just made this for lunch, we loved it! Thank you for always putting the grams measurement in your recipes. I love not having to dirty measuring cups. Also, thank you for introducing me to pepper paste!
Wonderful Regan!so happy to hear you enjoyed these, thank you for the feedback!
Thank you kindly for the recipe, it turned out pretty good. Was wondering if you could use to marinate Tempeh? I guess I’ll have to wait for your version of it.
So glad you enjoyed it! I have not tried that but I imagine it would work quite well! I would marinate the tempeh in a ziplock bag with the sauce for several hours or overnight.
Brandi, I made this tonight for our dinner along with some brown rice and other veg. It was super-tasty and super-easy. (I did add some chopped carrots along with the sweet potato.) Thank you for sharing your amazing creations. 😀
Awesome Julie! So glad to hear that!
This recipe is very simple and unique. I will definitely try this. Thanks for sharing its recipe with us.
Made these the other day. I didn’t want to use the miso paste I had leftover to make more soup so I searched Pinterest for Miso recipes and this came up. A-MA-ZING! And I didn’t even use the sesame seeds! I will be making this a lot more. Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Yay! So glad you found me and loved this recipe, thank you so much for the feedback!
I’m making these today !
Yay! enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe! I made it last night. I was looking for new options for preparing sweet potatoes (my husband love them and I don’t). It was easy and the sauce thickened nicely.
Wonderful, so glad to hear it!
Last week I ordered the Ancient Grains Bowl at True Food in Chicago and in the bowl, along with other delights, were the most wonderful sweet potatoes. I asked the chef to tell me what they did to make them so delicious and he said “miso”. So when I came home, I googled miso glazed sweet potatoes and found your recipe. I’ve made it once already and am making them again tonight but before I eat I want to say thank you, thank you. Your recipes never ever fail me.
You are so kind Annie, thank you so much. I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoyed these! If you get a chance to star rate it, I would love that, thank you!
Coming back to rate this 5 stars.
I had these at True Foods when I was traveling and have been dying to try them again. Can’t wait to test out this recipe, thanks for sharing!!
Wonderful Kristen! I hope you love them, they are so good. Let me know after you try them!
Hi there! Is there a substitute for the soy sauce that I can use for this recipe? I have Crohn’s Disease and can’t have gluten 🙁
Hi Summer! Yes, you can sub tamari which is the gluten-free version 🙂
Thanks so much for the recipe! I tried it and it turned out great. Really appreciate it, thank you!
-Jessica
Wonderful, so glad to hear that Jessica! Thank you for the review!
I love eating at True Food. So many great vegan options. Made an ancient grains bowl last night with this recipe. It was a hit! Here’s what I did:
based was a mix of quinoa and black rice (seasoned with adobo and liquid smoke), kale ribboned from my garden, roasted portobello thinly sliced, avocado thinly sliced, miso potatoes – garnished with green onions, white and black sesame seeds and a bit more of the miso glaze.
YUM!
So happy to hear that Delnora! really thrilled you loved these potatoes and miso sauce!
Hi Brandi, this sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try. I think this is the hardest part of the dish. My bf is vegan and I have been cooking him vegan dishes. We both really like this dish from true food kitchen. I tried making it once. It wasn’t bad but the flavors were not there. What brand of chili paste do you use? Do you have any suggestions on the pesto sauce and the seasoning for the rice? Thanks!
Hi Cat, thank you! Oh, I promise you these are fantastic! You can see all the reviews above that everybody has loved them. I loved them 100% as much as True Food Kitchen. As far as the rice and pesto, I have not ever tried to make those since my favorite part of the bowl is always the sweet potatoes. Also, their pesto I know is very heavy in oil. I do, however, have an amazing chimichurri sauce that is made with pumpkin seeds and cilantro, which is what their pesto is based off of. I think it would be fantastic with the bowl. The chili paste brand I used is linked in the recipe card, it’s highlighted in blue. Here is the link to the sauce: Chimichurri
Thanksss so much!