Sesame Free Lemon & Olive Oil White Sweet Potato Mash
White sweet potatoes have a creamier, more delicate flavor than their orange cousins, and this mash lets that subtlety shine. A quick bloom of garlic, turmeric, and ginger in olive oil builds a warm, aromatic base that gets folded right into the potatoes along with bright lemon juice and zest — the result is silky, fragrant, and genuinely hard to stop eating. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of sesame, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden tahini sneaking into a side dish. The technique of letting the drained potatoes steam off for a minute before mashing keeps the texture luxuriously smooth rather than watery. A final drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil and a scatter of fresh parsley make it look as impressive as it tastes. This is the kind of effortless, crowd-pleasing side that works just as well on a weeknight dinner table as it does at a holiday spread.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 lb white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the cooking water
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the white sweet potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes are completely tender and a fork slides through without resistance, 18–22 minutes.
- 2
While the potatoes cook, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 1–2 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and ginger and cook for 30 seconds more, until the spices are fragrant. Remove from heat.
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