Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Name: Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 medium (~1/3 lb each) sweet potatoes*; 1 15-ounce can chickpeas ((rinsed and drained)); 1/2 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked (or regular) paprika; 1 pinch sea salt or lemon juice ((optional)); 1/4 cup hummus ((or tahini)); 1/2 medium lemon, juiced ((1/2 lemon yields ~1 Tbsp juice)); 3/4 - 1 tsp dried dill ((or sub 2-3 tsp fresh per 3/4-1 tsp dried)); 3 cloves garlic, minced ((3 cloves yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)); Water or unsweetened almond milk ((to thin)); Sea salt to taste ((optional // I didn’t need any)); 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes ((diced)); 1/4 cup chopped parsley ((minced)); 2 Tbsp lemon juice; Chili garlic sauce

GF VG V DF NS

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Big bowl of Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Friends, it’s been a while.

How have you been? Do you love this time of year? I do. What have you been eating these days? Salads? Chocolate? Are you getting outside in this lovely, brisk weather? Are you feeling well? I’d love to know.

Fall makes me all emotional and introspective. I once cried for an hour after a scenic drive when the leaves were turning. We were listening to Greg Laswell. I got all grateful and started weeping. Fingers crossed it’s an annual occurrence. Sometimes you just need a good cry.

Lately I’ve been eating lots of plants and less sugar. And I’ve been walking and running a lot. And books! I’ve finished a lot of books recently, which isn’t typical for me, this one being my favorite.

I’ve also been listening to a lot of podcasts. Podcasts always impact me. Especially this one on sustainability, this one on hospitality, and this one on minimalism. Good stuff.

Speaking of good stuff, how about them sweet potatoes?

For me, one of the most difficult parts of eating a plant-based diet is getting creative with meal ideas. Left to my own devices, I’d eat chips and guac for every meal. Clearly, that isn’t healthy or sustainable.

So, recently I’ve been trying to branch out and experiment with more well-balanced meals, such as these Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes.

Big bowl of freshly roasted halved sweet potatoes

The concept is simple:

Baked sweet potatoes – cut in half to shorten cooking time
Seasoned, roasted chickpeas
Garlic-herb sauce
Parsley-tomato salad for garnish

The result is a 30-minute lunch or dinner that’s both satisfying, savory and sweet, and seriously healthy.

Drizzling dressing onto our Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes recipe

Using a spoon to add tabbouleh to Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

This is my new favorite way to do Mediterranean. This dish is:

Savory
Sweet
Fresh
Smoky
Warm
Comforting
Seriously healthy
Filling
Customizable
& Simple

I love how the sweetness of the sweet potatoes blends perfectly with the chickpeas and garlic sauce, and the lemony parsley-tomato salad provides a zesty fresh finish. Friends, I’m in love.

Plate of gluten-free vegan Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes alongside ingredients for making them

If you try this dish – and you must – let us know! Leave a comment or take a photo and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram or @minimalistbaker on Twitter! Or, share it with friends on Pinterest. We’re convinced people need this in their lives.

As always, thanks for supporting what we do. Cheers!

Plate of Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes for a healthy vegan meal

More Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes

Close up shot of a bowl of gluten-free vegan Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Course Entree, Side

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern-Inspired, Vegan

Freezer Friendly No

Does it keep? Best when fresh

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

4 medium (~1/3 lb each) sweet potatoes*
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked (or regular) paprika
1 pinch sea salt or lemon juice (optional)

GARLIC HERB SAUCE

1/4 cup hummus (or tahini)
1/2 medium lemon, juiced (1/2 lemon yields ~1 Tbsp juice)
3/4 – 1 tsp dried dill (or sub 2-3 tsp fresh per 3/4-1 tsp dried)
3 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
Water or unsweetened almond milk (to thin)
Sea salt to taste (optional // I didn’t need any)

TOPPINGS optional

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (diced)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (minced)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Chili garlic sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a large baking sheet with foil.
Rinse and scrub potatoes and cut in half length wise. This will speed cooking time. Otherwise leave whole and bake longer (approximately double the time (45 min – 1 hour).
Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and place face down on the same baking sheet (or another baking sheet depending on size).
While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, prepare your sauce by adding all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine, only adding enough water or almond milk to thin so it’s pourable. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more garlic for more zing, salt for savoriness, lemon juice for freshness, and dill for a more intense herb flavor. I found mine didn’t need anything else.
NOTE: If you don’t have hummus, tahini (which you can DIY!) will make a great base substitution for the sauce – just adjust the seasonings to accommodate the lack of flavor tahini provides.
Also prepare the parsley-tomato topping by tossing tomato and parsley with lemon juice and setting aside to marinate.
Once sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chickpeas are golden brown – roughly 25 minutes – remove from oven.
For serving, flip potatoes flesh-side up and smash down the insides a little bit. Then top with chickpeas, garlic herb sauce, parsley-tomato salad, and chili garlic sauce (optional). Serve immediately.
Additional side ideas might include Hummus, Pita Chips, Baba Ganoush, or Persian Eggplant Dip. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

*Adjust number of sweet potatoes per person, and buy organic when possible for best quality and flavor. And slice into quarters instead of halves to speed cooking time if on the larger side.
*This recipe is inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Learn about the origin of hummus here and tabbouleh (parsley salad) here.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 308 Carbohydrates: 54.7 g Protein: 10.9 g Fat: 6.1 g Saturated Fat: 0.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 400 mg Potassium: 609 mg Fiber: 11.9 g Sugar: 10.4 g Vitamin A: 18597 IU Vitamin C: 7 mg Calcium: 115 mg Iron: 2.5 mg