Should I soak sweet potatoes before baking?

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes . This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

How do you wash sweet potatoes?

Avoid storing in the refrigerator, which will result in a hard center and unpleasant taste. Cleaning and preparing: Before cooking, rinse sweet potatoes with cool, running water to remove any dirt from the skin and scrub with a vegetable brush if needed .

Should you soak sweet potatoes?

The only time I find soaking beneficial is when making sweet potato fries . If you soak the cut sweet potatoes, then do a two step frying process (parboil them before frying a second time) you get a crisper fry. If you skip the soaking stage, they don't get as crisp.

Should you boil sweet potatoes before baking?

In other words… do sweet potatoes need parboiling before roasting? Absolutely not . While many might choose to parboil the sweet potatoes before cooking for a shorter cooking time, we advise against it. Roasting sweet potatoes bring out their caramelized flavor yet leave the inside soft and custardy.

Should I peel sweet potatoes before boiling?

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling .

What happens if you don't wash sweet potatoes?

Don't Rinse Sweet Potatoes Wait to wash your sweet potatoes until you are ready to use them. The moisture could cause them to rot and lead to mold . If you'd like, use a dry cloth to brush off any dirt before storing, especially if it will dirty up your shelf or cabinet.

Is it safe to eat the skin of a sweet potato?

You can eat sweet potato skin . It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

How long to soak sweet potatoes in water before cooking?

Give them a cold water bath: Once your fries are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the fries completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) . This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.

Should you soak potatoes in salt or sugar water?

Why use salt water for soaking potatoes? There's moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.

How long can sweet potatoes sit in water before cooking?

You can peel and cut sweet potatoes and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance for easier meal prep, according to the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. To do this, place the raw, cut sweet potatoes in a bowl of water — covered — in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Do you soak sweet potatoes to remove starch?

To remove excess starch, place cut sweet potatoes into cold water making sure the cut surfaces are submerged . This step is especially recommended for "kinton" (Japanese-style mashed sweet potato) and other lightly seasoned dishes where a delectable color is desired. Soaking time of about 5 minutes is sufficient.

Sweet Potato Taco Bowl (One of our most popular recipes) (2024)

This sweet potato taco bowl is great because it’s not only affordable, but filled with healthy ingredients, and really really delicious!

This yummy taco bowl is full of color – roasted sweet potato, corn, tomatoes, black beans, and parsley – all on a bed of brown rice.

A recipe that’s great to serve for lunch or dinner!

Sweet Potato Taco Bowl (One of our most popular recipes) (1)

Easy, Affordable, Healthy Meal

One big goal for my family is to incorporate a lot more meatless meals into our weekly routine. Let’s be honest, good quality meat is expensive!

So to be able to eat less of it is nice for the budget. Plus, I love the idea of creating affordable dishes full of grains and colorful vegetables.

It’s a budget-friendly recipe that’s full of beautiful colors.
Although it might feel complicated, it’s actually super simple to make. Use canned corn and beans, a rice cooker, and roast the sweet potato.
Ingredients can easily be swapped for others that you already have in the fridge.
The avocado dressing is creamy and so simple. It’s made the same way you would make a smoothie.

If you’re planning on making this sweet potato taco bowl for dinner, it’s important to do a little prep in advance with your sweet potato, and possibly the rice. This eases the workload come dinner time.

Sweet Potato Taco Bowl (One of our most popular recipes) (2)

Recipe Ingredients

SWEET POTATO: Grab a large sweet potato from the grocery store. Feel free to make extra for this recipe as the sweet potato will naturally shrink while baking.

RICE: A bed of rice is the base of this recipe. Brown rice, white rice or instant rice will work. The rice can be cooked on the stove, or in a rice cooker.

ADDITIONS: This bowl uses a combination of color ingredients including black beans, tomatoes, corn, and parsley (or cilantro).

DRESSING: This taco bowl needs a creamy dressing made from ripe avocado, water and taco seasonings.

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How To Make A Sweet Potato Taco Bowl

This colorful bowl requires a few different steps to prepare. It’s the perfect healthy dinner!

Soak chopped sweet potato in water to release starch. Pat dry thoroughly, toss with spices then bake.
Cook the rice on the stove or in a rice cooker. Mix rice with fresh lime juice and parsley.
Blend avocado dressing according to the full recipe instructions below.
Assemble rice, sweet potato, corn, black beans and tomatoes in a bowl. Drizzle avocado dressing overtop, serve and enjoy!

The avocado dressing is really simple to make! It’s a little different from the version I created for my 6 simple salad dressing recipes post – but just as tasty!

In this version, you’ll be using the leftovers from the spice mix you prepared for the sweet potatoes, a ripe avocado, and a little bit of water all mixed in a blender. And voila! A delicious, healthy dressing.

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Recipe Tips

You’ll need to soak the sweet potato first before you start baking them. This will help to release the starch which is the key to getting those crispy potatoes that we all love. They’ll need to soak for at least an hour, so it might be easy to do this step earlier in the day when you’ve got a bit of extra time.
Once the sweet potato has had time to soak, dry them thoroughly with a clean tea towel. The more moisture you remove, the better. This will help with the crispiness.
It’s easy to batch prep and make extra sweet potatoes for leftover lunches.
These bowls can be assembled as mason jar salads for an easy meal prep idea.
The taco seasoning mix and salad dressing can be substituted with store-bought versions to save time.

Sweet Potato Taco Bowl (One of our most popular recipes) (5)

More Recipes

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet is our most popular dinner recipe!
Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Omelette is the perfect way to cook eggs to feed a crowd.
Sweet Potato Kale Salad also uses an avocado dressing.
Ground Beef Sweet Potato Skillet is an easy, all-in-one dinner, perfect for busy weeknights.

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