What Is Yam and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with yam? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it — with 13 recipes to put it to work.

Recipes using yam

There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Callaloo Soup

Traditional Caribbean callaloo soup with dasheen, okra, plantain, and yam puréed into a silky, spiced broth with a Scotch bonnet kick. Warm, green, and soul-filling.

Jim's Sweet-Sour Yams

Jim's sweet-sour yams is a microwave side dish with canned yams, pineapple chunks, fresh kiwi, and raisins simmered in a glossy brown sugar glaze. Holiday table flavor without tying up the oven.

Yam Chili

Yam chili with smashed canned yams, dried beans, tomato puree, barbecue sauce, chili powder, and cinnamon. A hearty vegetarian chili with natural sweetness from the yams.

Yapple Pudding

Yapple Pudding is a three-ingredient no-cook dessert made by mashing baked yam with applesauce and cinnamon. Naturally sweet, vegan, and ready in 5 minutes.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Chunky sweet potato soup loaded with carrots, celery, peas, and herbs, finished with nonfat sour cream and skim milk. A big-batch comfort soup that serves 16 and feels lighter than it tastes.

Whipped Yams & Winter Squash Casserole

Whipped yam and acorn squash casserole with maple syrup, orange juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A naturally sweet holiday side dish with no butter or cream needed.

Winter Squash & Fruit

Baked winter squash and fruit roasts butternut, yam, apple, pear, and banana with cider and warm spices. A naturally sweet, oil-free Thanksgiving side dish.

Squash & Two Potatoes with Chicken on Pasta with Passion

Stir-fry chicken with yellow squash, yam, and red potato tosses over angel hair pasta in a zippy orange-juice-and-hot-sauce glaze. Quick one-wok dinner with peanut crunch.

Traditional Japanese Noodles & Broth

Traditional Japanese noodles in a homemade dashi broth made from kombu, bonito flakes, tamari, mirin, and fresh ginger juice. An authentic kake-udon or kake-soba base ready in 30 minutes.

Fried Yam Puffs - Epok-Epok Keladi

Crispy fried yam puffs (epok-epok keladi) with a savory prawn and meat stuffing. A popular Malaysian snack with a mashed yam dough shell that fries up golden and light.

Popeye's Sweet Pea Soup

Popeye's sweet pea soup: a double dose of green peas plus a whole pound of spinach, with yam, onion, celery, and a hint of molasses. Vegan, iron-packed, and ready in an hour.

Rempah (Malay Curry)

Rempah, the fragrant Malay curry built on a fried spice-and-chili paste with garlic and ginger, then sweet potato, coconut and tamarind. The slow-fried paste is the heart of the dish.

October Cake

October cake with yams, apples, walnuts, and raisins in a maple syrup batter spiked with orange marmalade and Grand Marnier. A dense, spiced autumn loaf cake.

All 13 recipes