Blueberry-Purple Sweet Potato Smoothie with Tahini and Miso

I love to play sweet and savory flavors off of each other, and this smoothie is the perfect result of my oddball tinkering. While I do love a frozen banana based smoothie, I find it can be a little harsh on my stomach at times. Cauliflower, zucchini and/or sweet potato are great stand-ins, because they each provide the same type of creaminess and bulk without the intense sweetness. In this smoothie, I used organic purple sweet potatoes, which are veritable nutrition powerhouses. They have the typical health properties of regular sweet potatoes – high in Vitamins A, C and B6 and rich in manganese, copper, potassium, iron and fiber – but their deep purple hue sets them apart for their higher antioxidant levels. These purple beauties are rich in the same antioxidant found in blueberries, red cabbages and red grapes. Purple sweet potatoes actually have 150 percent more antioxidants than blueberries.

Naturally, I thought purple sweet potatoes and blueberries would be a perfect combo in this smoothie to really pack a punch of antioxidants. I used roasted, then frozen purple sweet potatoes here. Cue the eye rolls – I know that seems like a lot of work for a smoothie. But it’s all about meal prep! I had already roasted a big batch of sweet potatoes to use throughout the week and froze a couple to use in smoothies. Totally easy with a little bit of foresight. If you cannot find purple sweet potatoes, the regular old orange variety will work just fine in this smoothie (although the purple hue will be a bit more subdued).

Because purple sweet potatoes are abundant in Japan, I upped the Japanese vibes by using tahini and a small amount of miso. It sounds weird, but it totally works. The slightly savory note from the tahini balances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and blueberries. The miso adds a subtle salted-caramel flavor that really takes this smoothie to a new level of deliciousness. Flavor aside, this smoothie has total superfood status, with the additions of maca powder, which adds adaptogenic properties with a malt-like flavor, and collagen powder, which adds protein in a beautifying, gut-friendly way. I love this maca blend powder – it tastes delicious – and this collagen peptides powder.

To serve, I swirled in some coconut yogurt and sprinkled it with black sesame seeds and bee pollen – totally optional, and any yogurt and seeds will do.

Enjoy!

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