Chickpea Sweet Potatoes

Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

These chickpea sweet potatoes are an easy sheet-pan dinner made with roasted sweet potatoes, seasoned chickpeas, kale and a lemony tahini sauce. The sweet potatoes roast first, then the chickpeas and kale join them on the pan for the last few minutes of cooking before everything is finished with the sauce.

It’s easy to adjust depending on what you have on hand. The tahini sauce can be made with or without yogurt, and feta is a good addition if you have it. If you're really short on time, thinned hummus works too.

Why Make These Chickpea Sweet Potatoes?

• A sheet-pan dinner: The sweet potatoes, chickpeas and kale all come together on one pan.
• Flexible: Make the tahini sauce with yogurt, or finish with feta.
• Good for weeknights: Everything goes in the oven, so there's time to make the sauce and get the rest of dinner together while the sweet potatoes roast.

Ingredients & Tips

Sweet Potatoes

Use small to medium sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they finish roasting at about the same time.

Chickpeas

Canned chickpeas are the most convenient. Drain and rinse them well, then toss them with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic before adding them to the sheet pan.

Because the chickpeas are already cooked, they only need 5 to 10 minutes in the oven. This is enough time to heat them through and cook the seasonings onto the chickpeas without drying them out.

Kale

Massage the kale with olive oil before adding it to the pan. This softens the leaves and helps them roast evenly during the short time they spend in the oven.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is used to season the chickpeas and massage the kale. It's also part of the tahini sauce.

Spices

Cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic give the chickpeas their seasoning.

Tahini Sauce

The tahini sauce combines tahini with lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Add water as needed to make it thin enough to drizzle.

For a tahini yogurt sauce, stir plain yogurt into the finished tahini sauce.

If you want a shortcut, thin prepared hummus with a little lemon juice and use it in place of the tahini sauce.

How to Make Chickpea Sweet Potatoes

Roast the Sweet Potatoes

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Place the whole sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and roast until they're tender throughout, about 50 to 60 minutes depending on their size. A knife should slide easily into the center.

While the sweet potatoes roast, prepare the chickpeas, kale and tahini sauce.

Season the Chickpeas and Kale

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then toss them with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika and finely grated garlic.

Massage the kale with olive oil until the leaves soften.

When the sweet potatoes have about 5 to 10 minutes left, add the kale and seasoned chickpeas to the sheet pan around the sweet potatoes.

Return the pan to the oven and roast until the kale is softened and the chickpeas are heated through.

Make the Tahini Sauce

While everything finishes roasting, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and enough water to make a pourable sauce.

For a tahini yogurt sauce, stir in plain yogurt and add more water as needed.

Assemble

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and split them open lengthwise.

Drizzle the tahini sauce into each sweet potato first. Add the roasted kale, followed by the chickpeas.

If using feta, crumble it over the top.

Serve warm.

Variations

• Tahini yogurt sauce: Stir plain yogurt into the tahini sauce.
• Add feta: Crumble feta over the finished sweet potatoes.
• Use hummus: Thin prepared hummus with a little lemon juice and use it in place of the tahini sauce.
• Add some heat: Add cayenne or red pepper flakes to the chickpea seasoning.
• Try another green: Spinach can be used in place of kale; add it during the final few minutes just until wilted.
• Add crunch: Finish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
• Add fresh herbs: Parsley or cilantro would work well scattered over the finished sweet potatoes.
• Brighten the finished dish: Add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are the chickpeas added at the end?

The chickpeas are already cooked, so they don't need to roast for the full time that the sweet potatoes do. Adding them during the last 5 to 10 minutes heats them through and gives the spices time to cling to the chickpeas.

Can I make these ahead?

You can roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to serve. Reheat them in the oven, then add the seasoned chickpeas and kale during the final 8 to 10 minutes.

Can I use another type of sweet potato?

Yes. The important thing is to choose sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they cook at roughly the same rate. Smaller sweet potatoes will cook more quickly than larger ones.

Final Thoughts

I've made a few variations on baked sweet potatoes over the years, and I keep coming back to the idea because there are so many ways to change them. This version, with chickpeas, kale and tahini, is one I've been making most lately.

If you like baked sweet potatoes, you might also want to try my Mediterranean stuffed sweet potatoes or my vegan baked sweet potatoes with roasted broccoli.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

• Roasted Sweet Potato Slices
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Continue to Content

Yield: Serves 4

Chickpea Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

An easy sheet-pan dinner with roasted sweet potatoes, spiced chickpeas and kale, finished with lemony tahini sauce.

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Ingredients

For the Sweet Potatoes

• 4 small to medium sweet potatoes
• For the Chickpeas
• 1 (15-ounce)/425g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon/15ml olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Kale

• 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• ½ Tablespoon/7ml olive oil
• Pinch of salt

For the Tahini Sauce

• ¼ cup/112g tahini
• 3 Tablespoons/45ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon/15ml olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2–4 Tablespoons/30-60ml water, as needed

Optional

• ¼ cup/60g plain yogurt, for a tahini yogurt sauce
• 2–3 ounces/56-84g feta, crumbled over the top

Instructions

1. Roast the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork then place on a sheet pan and roast for 50-60 minutes, depending on their size, until tender throughout and easily pierced with a knife.
2. Season the chickpeas. While the sweet potatoes roast, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Toss with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic and salt.
3. Prepare the kale. Place the chopped kale in a bowl and massage with the olive oil and a pinch of salt until the leaves soften.
4. Finish the sheet pan. When the sweet potatoes have 5 to 10 minutes of roasting time remaining, add the kale and seasoned chickpeas to the pan next to them. Return to the oven and roast until the kale is softened and the chickpeas are heated through.
5. Make the tahini sauce. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. The mixture will thicken as you whisk. (If using yogurt whisk it in now.) Add water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and thin enough to drizzle.
6. Assemble. Split the sweet potatoes open lengthwise. Spoon tahini sauce into each sweet potato first, followed by the roasted kale and chickpeas. Drizzle with more sauce and finish with crumbled feta, if using.

Notes

• Choose sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they cook at roughly the same rate.
• If your sweet potatoes are on the larger side, they may need longer.
• For a shortcut, thin prepared hummus with a little water or lemon juice and use it in place of the tahini sauce.
• To keep the recipe vegan, use the tahini sauce without yogurt and omit the feta.

Dietary Info

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan (omit yogurt and/or feta or use vegan substitute), Dairy-Free (omit yogurt and/or feta or use dairy-free substitute), Nut-Free, Egg-Free

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 213Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 332mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 9g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

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