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Sweet Potato and Ginger Dessert Soup in a pot.
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5 from 6 votes

Sweet Potato and Ginger Dessert Soup (番薯糖水)

Using just 4 ingredients, Sweet Potato and Ginger Dessert Soup is a healthy option for those sugar cravings. Dive into buttery vegetables and warm spices!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese
Servings: 6
Calories: 319kcal
Author: Jeannette

Equipment

  • Meat mallet or cleaver
  • Peeler

Ingredients

  • 1 kg / 2.2 lb sweet potato
  • 60 g / 0.1 lb ginger (or to preference)
  • 100 g / 0.22 brown sugar slab (or to taste)
  • 1 1/2 L / 6.3 US cup water

Instructions

  • Smash the ginger using the flat side of a meat mallet or a large flat knife like a cleaver.
  • Peel then cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks. You can either slice it down cleanly or wedge the cleaver 1/3 of the way in and break the rest off. By doing the latter technique, you'll create more texture for every bite.
  • Bring the water to a boil and add the sweet potatoes and ginger. Let it simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add the brown sugar slabs in and let it cook for another 5 minutes or until the ingredients have softened to preference.
  • Enjoy hot as is or refrigerate to have it cold!

Notes

  • Avoid overcooking the ingredients. You'll end up with overly soft potatoes that have no bite.
  • Using the 'cut and break' technique. This will add texture to each piece for a better mouthfeel.
  • Opt for old ginger. Young versions just don't have the same kick and can make the dish sweeter than it needs to be.
  • Char the aromatics. Before you add water to the pot, gently char the ginger to develop deeper flavors.
  • For this recipe, we like to use orange or purple sweet potatoes for their butteriness and gentle sweetness.
  • We use brown sugar slabs (pin tong 片糖) for this recipe, but you can use palm sugar or any that you have on hand. Just make sure to adjust it to taste.
  • Old ginger (lo gurng 老姜) is our preferred option for its spicier warmth. Lo gurng can be purchased looking brown and wrinkly whereas its younger counterpart is soft, smooth and on the pink side.
  • Our homemade version keeps the ingredients simple, but this dish can be modified by adding ingredients like mung beans, glutinous rice balls (without the filling), sweet potato balls, red bean, dried red dates, taro, longan, peach gum and pandan leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 1164mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 47240IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg