Healthy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Bowl with Lemon-Herb Dressing

I LOVE bowls. It’s really become an obsession of mine. This healthy sweet potato and chickpea bowl is a favorite of mine and knocks out my comfort food cravings, especially when drizzled with the Lemon-Herb Dressing. I love combining all of my favorite flavors into a neat little bowl – it makes it so much easier to eat on the couch while reading a book, without spilling food everywhere. Even if it’s not a bowl recipe per se, I’ll try stuffing it into one. Loaded salads, check. Fish with mango salsa and rice, check. OR, since I plan on eating a truckload of chips and guac, I feel I can forgo the tortilla and have a burrito bowl. And the best part – I don’t feel obligated to make a side dish, because that’s the beauty of a bowl…everything you need is in one place!

So, here’s how this healthy sweet potato and chickpea bowl comes together. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. Most of these are pantry staples, and they come together fairly easily.

We’re going to start out by throwing some seasoned sweet potatoes into the oven for 35 minutes. I added some turmeric because we are in the midst of a pandemic, and we all need our super spices during the sick season.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, I’ll whip up a batch of this super yummy lemon-herb dressing in about 3 minutes. Thank you, Jesus, for blenders!!

I still have time before the potatoes are done, so I’ll take a few minutes to fry up some crispy chickpeas (this is by far my favorite way to eat them). I let the oil get good and hot in the skillet before I add my chickpeas. I leave them for about 4 minutes before I stir them, and that allows them to get golden brown and crispy on one side. It’s OK if a few of them pop open. After they are beautiful and golden brown, I add the lemon zest, which gives a nice pop of fresh flavor to the chickpeas. I should warn you though – these are highly addicting! I have to place them out of the way until I finish the whole meal or else I’ll be snacking on them the entire time.

I love adding an egg to my meals because they are such a great source of vitamins and protein. Poached eggs are a beautiful thing. The whites are just firm enough on the outside in order to contain a delicious, oozy, golden yolk on the inside. Poached eggs are one of those things that people usually order in a restaurant but never attempt to make at home. I think they can be very intimidating to people. Honestly though, once you get the hang of it, they’re pretty easy.

With poached eggs, you really want to use the freshest eggs possible. This is the most important factor in determining the success of your poached eggs. Fresh eggs will have firmer whites and just hold their spherical shape better. After that, it’s just a matter of carefully putting it into hot water for a few minutes.

There are a couple of different ways to make them, so you just have to find out what works for you. My preferred method is to swirl the water around with a spoon so it creates a whirlpool effect. I then carefully lower the cracked egg into the middle of the whirlpool using a ladle (the swirling water helps the egg maintain its spherical shape). Then I set my timer for 3 minutes and keep watch. After my timer goes off, I use a slotted spoon to scoop the egg out of the water, and voilà! A perfectly poached egg.

After everything is made, I layer some quinoa into the bottom of my bowl, then the greens with some lemon herb dressing. Next, come the sweet potatoes and chickpeas. The egg goes on top of everything so that the yolk can drizzle down. I’ll usually add in a bit more dressing, and if I have pistachios or sesame seeds, I’ll sprinkle some on top for a nice crunchy finish.

Healthy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Bowl with Lemon-Herb Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the sweet potatoes

• 1 sweet potato
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 – 2 tsp. turmeric
• dash of salt and fresh ground pepper

For the chickpeas

• 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. thinly sliced lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
• dash of salt and fresh ground pepper

For the lemon-herb dressing

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1-2 tsp. honey (depends on how sweet you like it)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (you can substitute your favorite herb if you don’t have parsley)
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

What else to add to your bowl

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1 -2 poached eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Peel the sweet potato and cube into bite-sized pieces. Place the pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over them. Toss the potatoes and oil with your hands to make sure each piece is covered. Season with turmeric, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook the potatoes in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until fork-tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the bag.
4. For the chickpeas; heat up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are crisped all over. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and cook for one more minute. Turn off the heat and remove the chickpeas and zest to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper.  
5. To make your lemon-herb dressing, toss all the ingredients into a blender and mix it up. Taste and season more if desired.
6. To poach the egg, bring a small pot of water to a boil over the stovetop. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Swirl the water around with a spoon so that the pot becomes a whirlpool. Crack an egg into a ladle or small bowl and gently pour it into the water. The swirling water will help the egg maintain its spherical shape. Let the egg simmer in the water for 3 minutes, then remove it and serve on top of our assembled bowl.
7. To assemble: Serve each bowl with the quinoa, greens, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and a poached egg. Top with more dressing and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you guys! And of course, if you do make this recipe and share it on Instagram, tag me @jessicalenhert so I can see your masterpiece.