I wanted to make pizza for dinner one night, but I knew I wanted the sauce to be more filling than your average pizza sauce. I grabbed a purple sweet potato and threw together this vibrant, delicious sauce that I absolutely had to share with you!
I topped the pizza with sliced mushrooms, zucchini, and leftover cooked chicken (all tossed in some olive oil, balsamic, salt, + pepper) and baked it according to the instructions for the store-bought crust (this is the crust I used–it is neither AIP nor Whole30 compliant, but it was a fantastic treat that worked well for me). After it was finished in the oven, I topped it with some baby kale that I had tossed in olive oil, balsamic, salt, + pepper. SO GOOD, PEOPLE.
One of the ingredients this recipe calls for that may not be as familiar to you is umeboshi paste. Umeboshi are a kind of Japaense plum that have been fermented. You can read about some of the health benefits of it here. It’s sour and salty (I think it tastes kind of like tamarind), and adds a perfect punch of umami + acidity if used correctly. If you cannot access Umeboshi paste (I bought mine on Thrive Market, but you should be able to find at other health food stores or on Amazon), then you can replace it with the recommended amount of fish sauce + lemon juice. It won’t be the exact same, but it will still give you the umami and acidity components that a sauce like this needs (just note if using fish sauce that the sauce is no longer vegan)!
Purple Sweet Potato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 large purple sweet potato (or any sweet potato)
1 tsp olive oil
2 TB fresh thyme
1 large shallot or 1 small onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup broth (bone, chicken, or vegetable)
1 tsp umeboshi paste (or 1/2 tsp fish sauce + 1 TB lemon juice)
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
Pepper to taste (omit for AIP)
Directions:
- Scrub the sweet potato clean, then cut into large chunks and add to a pot (large enough to accommodate being able to fit the sweet potato + enough water to fully cover the sweet potato). Pour water into the pot until the sweet potato chunks are fully submerged.
- Put the pot on medium-high heat and set a timer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, check to see whether the potatoes are fork tender. If so, then remove from heat. If not, allow to boil for 3-5 more minutes and check again.
- While potatoes are boiling, chop the shallot (or onion) and garlic, and get your other ingredients measured and ready, but separate.
- When potatoes finish boiling, remove from heat then carefully (don’t burn yourself!!) peel the skin off. It’ll come off easily once the sweet potatoes are cooked!
- Rinse the pot (and admire the pretty blue water), then set it back on medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil, then add the chopped shallot and sauté until starting to brown, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add coconut milk and broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pick up all the browned bits. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 1 minute.
- Add the cooked sweet potato, fresh thyme, umeboshi paste (or fish sauce + lemon juice if using), salt, and pepper.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until velvety and smooth.
- Alternatively, you can carefully add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Spread onto a pizza with toppings to bake, use as pasta sauce, use as a sauce for veggies, spoon over chicken, or however else you wish, and enjoy!
Notes:
-This sauce will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. I would not recommend freezing.
-Feel free to use a different variety of sweet potato if you cannot access purple!
-Also, replace fresh thyme with another herb of your choice, based on preference or availability. Rosemary or dill would be excellent here as well.
AIPooja: Seeking Wellness through Disease 