Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Everyone knows mediterranean food and fresh herbs just go together. This dish is no exception, with wonderfully zesty and satisfying flavors that will make your mouth water for more! Sweet potatoes are one of the most versatile root vegetables, as they adapt to pretty much any kind of cuisine. In this case, they are baked and topped with roasted chickpeas, a simple garlic-herb sauce and a parsley-tomato salad.

The result is pretty extraordinary – the sweetness of the sweet potatoes blends perfectly the chickpeas and garlic sauce, and the lemony parsley-tomato salad provides a zesty fresh finish. Mouth watering, fresh, nutritious, warm, comforting, and naturally gluten free and vegan – this dish will leave you feeling like you just stepped off the plane in Greece. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika
• 1 pinch sea salt or lemon juice

Garlic Herb Sauce

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
• 2-3 tsp fresh Urban Leaf dill
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• Water to thin
• Sea salt to taste (optional)

Toppings

• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (diced)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (minced)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Fresh Urban Leaf basil and thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Rinse and scrub potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. This will speed cooking time.
3. Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and place face down on the same baking sheet
5. 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 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. 
6. Prepare the parsley-tomato topping by tossing tomato and parsley with lemon juice and setting aside to marinate.
7. Once sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chickpeas are golden brown – roughly 25 minutes – remove from oven.
8. For serving, flip potatoes flesh-side up and smash down the insides a little bit. Then top with chickpeas, sauce and parsley-tomato garnish. Serve immediately.
9. Enjoy!

Check out more plant-based recipes featuring fresh herbs on our recipe page.