Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowl (GF + Vegan)

Roasted sweet potatoes, spicy chickpeas, and fresh kale paired with a maple-tahini dressing.  This sweet potato kale chickpea bowl is the ultimate gluten free and vegan comfort food.

closeup image of a buddha bowl with sweet potatoes, onions, kale, chickpeas, and tahini dressing

I know.  I know.

On Monday I called out food bloggers for turning all healthy in January, before sliding back into regularly scheduled content.

And here I am, sharing a sweet potato kale chickpea bowl.

That is gluten free and vegan.

I know.

sheet pan with roasted sweet potatoes and onions next to a skillet with sauteed chickpeas and kale

But my dinner category tends to run on the healthy side (no fried chicken around here – not that I don’t love some good friend chicken!), so this fits right in.

And you can follow it up with one of those delicious sprinkle sugar cookies from Monday.  Balance, friends, balance.  Life is all about balance.

So if you need to tip your scales a little bit towards the healthy category, come on over to my house, because I can’t stop making this sweet potato kale chickpea bowl!

large black bowl filled with roasted sweet potatoes, onion, kale, spiced chickpeas, and maple tahini dressing

It’s basically the perfect winter comfort food.  Warm and filling – like eating a hug. (Is that a weird analogy?)

But unlike traditional pasta and cheese-laden comfort food, you don’t feel like groaning afterwards, even if you go back for seconds.

Which you probably will.  Because it’s so good.

(It’s so good, in fact, that I made this for a friend the last week of December.  Before I had a chance to share my recipe, he texted me a picture of his recreation, because he also can’t get enough.)

image of a fork holding a piece of kale and roasted sweet potato

How to Make Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowls

So let’s talk about how to make this delicious, nutritious, healthy sweet potato kale chickpea bowl, shall we?  It’s suer easy. Roast some sweet potatoes and red onion.  Wilt some kale.  Sautee some chickpeas in a bunch of delicious spices.

And then make the true star of this dish: a maple tahini dressing, drizzled on top.  I have a mild obsession with tahini and put it on all the things – it’s such a perfect earthy, nutty flavor and such a great way to add creaminess to something without cream or yogurt. (Examples of all the things: grilled tahini chicken, flourless chocolate tahini cake, brownies with salted tahini buttercream.)

I add just a little maple syrup to sweeten it up, but if you’re avoiding additional sugars, you can certainly skip the maple syrup.  (But if you’re not, add it.  It’s so good!)

overhead picture of a buddha bowl with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and kale with tahini dressing

Sidenote: Soom Tahini is my absolute favorite tahini – it’s woman-owned and it’s local to Philly, too!  And also gluten free; if using another brand and concerned about gluten, please double check.  (Not a sponsored post, but Amazon link is affiliate.)

If you’re part of a winter CSA in the northeast, you’re probably getting a lot of sweet potatoes and winter kale right now.  Eating local, eating in season, and eating healthy?  This sweet potato kale chickpea bowl is the ultimate comfort food trifecta.

small white bowl filled with vegan and gluten free sweet potato kale chickpea bowl

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Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowl: roasted sweet potatoes, spicy chickpeas, and fresh kale with a maple tahini dressing. #bunsenburnerbakery #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #tahini #buddhabowl

Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowl (GF + Vegan)

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Roasted sweet potatoes, spicy chickpeas, and fresh kale paired with a maple-tahini dressing – the ultimate gluten free and vegan comfort food.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, halved
  • 3 bunches fresh kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons hot water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.
  2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over sweet potatoes and onion. Spread on baking sheet, with the sweet potatoes skin side down.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip sweet potatoes and bake an additional 10 minutes, until sweet potatoes are cooked yet firm.
  4. While sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the kale and chickpeas. Place the kale in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. When the kale is bright green and wilted, remove the from the skillet and set aside.
  5. Pour out any accumulated liquid from the kale and add the chickpeas to the skillet. Sprinkle with the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper (if using), and remaining half teaspoon of salt. Stir the chickpeas well to combine with the spices. Add the additional tablespoon of olive oil and sauté, stirring frequently. Cook for 10 minutes, until chickpeas are golden brown.
  6. To make the tahini sauce, combine the tahini, maple syrup, lemon juice, and hot water in a small mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork to combine.
  7. To serve, cut the sweet potatoes into bite sized cubes. Mix with the onions, kale, and chickpeas, and drizzle with the tahini sauce.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 31gCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 18gSugar: 17gProtein: 20g

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Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowl: roasted sweet potatoes, spicy chickpeas, and fresh kale with a maple tahini dressing. #bunsenburnerbakery #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #tahini #buddhabowl