If you’re looking for a savory sweet potato recipe for the holidays, look no further than this easy and creative sweet potato confit recipe.
Sweet potato confit may sound like it’s going to be a challenging recipe, but I promise it’s not. In fact, this will be the EASIEST sweet potato recipe out there. I promise. The best part? This recipe can appease the sweet OR savory side dish lovers with the addition of the pomegranate maple glaze sauce.
Have you ever made confit before? You’re likely thinking of the classic French preparation of duck confit which means the meat is cooked slowly in duck fat.
Since this is a vegan side dish, there will be no duck fat. Instead, for vegetables or even garlic, the vegetables are roasted low and slow in olive oil. If you’re worried about wasting the oil, fear not. It can be reused! Just strain off the herbs, transfer them to an airtight jar and keep them in the refrigerator.
How to make these savory sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving:
Now, I can’t claim that this is the most creative sweet potato recipe out there, but I think it’s so beautiful and so easy to prepare. The best part is that there is virtually no prep work. You can make this a few days in advance and simply reheat it gently in the oven. This recipe is so simple that you could easily pop it in the oven in the morning. When you’re ready to eat, simply reheat it in the oven right before serving.
First, prepare the potatoes. Simply slice thick rounds of sweet potatoes. I used mini sweet potatoes, but feel free to use full-sized potatoes, but you may need a larger baking dish. The rounds should be about 1″–1.5″ thickness. Arrange them in the baking dish, avoiding overlap when possible. Scatter the aromatics–thyme, sage, and shallot–over the potatoes and add a generous sprinkle of salt. Pour the olive oil over the potatoes until they are just barely covered. It’s okay if a few potatoes stick out a bit, but try to keep them mostly covered with the oil.
From there, simply transfer to the oven and cook for about 1–1.5 hours over low heat. The potatoes will melt in your mouth and so, so savory and flavorful.
Right before serving, whip the Greek yogurt with a hand mixer. To keep this vegan, I used plant-based Greek yogurt, but you can use dairy Greek yogurt too. Store the yogurt in the freezer for 5 minutes to thicken it up a bit.
Finally, prepare the maple pomegranate sauce, if you like. Simply boil pomegranate juice and maple syrup in a small saucepan for 3–5 minutes. Add half a teaspoon of agar-agar (or cornstarch) and whisk until smooth and completely dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken.
How to plate the sweet potatoes:
Right before service, I recommend transferring the potato rounds to a paper towel-lined plate to control how much oil makes it onto the serving platter. Next, spoon the whipped yogurt onto a serving platter. Arrange the warm sweet potatoes on top and place a few cooked sage leaves on the platter. Drizzle a teaspoon of confit oil over the dish.
Depending on your preference, you can either drizzle the maple pomegranate sauce on top of the serving platter or you can bring the sauce to the table and allow guests to control the sweetness to their preference.
Easy Sweet Potato Confit Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Hand mixer
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1.5” thick rounds
- 8-10 sage leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 large shallot peeled and sliced into thin wedges
- Olive oil
- ¾ cup plant-based Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice or use cranberry juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch plus more, if needed
- Salt to taste
- Minced parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
- Arrange sweet potatoes, shallots, thyme, and sage in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Avoid overlapping the sweet potatoes too much. Sprinkle with salt and pour olive oil over top until mostly submerged. It’s okay if some sweet potatoes are exposed, but they should be mostly covered.
Bake the sweet potatoes:
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven. Bake uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the sweet potatoes and shallots from the dish and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Pick the sage leaves from the oil and add them to the plate with the sweet potatoes. Discard any remaining herbs in the oil. See note.
Prepare the whipped yogurt:
- Place the Greek yogurt in a bowl and use a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Season lightly with salt. Transfer to refrigerator for 5 minutes. Whisk again right before serving.
Prepare the maple pomegranate sauce:
- Combine pomegranate juice and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sauce into a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk until a slurry forms. Pour the slurry into the pot and whisk until combined. Simmer for 5–6 minutes until thick and syrupy. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Spoon the yogurt into a serving platter and pile the sweet potatoes, shallot, and sage on top. Drizzle the thickened pomegranate sauce on top and finish with freshly minced parsley. If desired, drizzle a teaspoon of the confit oil on top. Enjoy!
