Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Tahini Salad

Name: Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Tahini Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Moroccan, African
Ingredients: 750g orange-fleshed sweet potatoes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; salt and black pepper; 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 garlic clove, minced; 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 120ml just-boiled water; 4 tablespoons tahini; 4 tablespoons water, or as needed; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 Little Gem lettuces,roughly chopped; 2 handfuls of parsley leaves, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds; 100g crumbled feta cheese (optional); 1–2 teaspoons sumac

7 steps

Prep:20minCook:45min

This is the kind of food I most enjoy eating: chunky roasted vegetables, garlicky tahini sauce, lots of herbs, lots of citrus. You can’t go wrong. I use chickpeas in jars for this recipe, as they are softer and I can find them easily and affordably in my local Turkish greengrocer. As these might not be available to you, I’ve suggested using canned chickpeas here instead (though if you can get hold of the type in jars I highly recommend it). Brands of cans vary massively, so you may need to cook them for a little longer until they are soft.

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 21:09:23 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories502.5 kcal (25%)

Total Fat19.9 g (28%)

Carbs69.8 g (27%)

Sugars15.2 g (17%)

Protein16.5 g (33%)

Sodium638 mg (32%)

Fiber17 g (61%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Step 2

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 4cm chunks. Place them in a large baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil, fennel seeds, thyme and ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Toss well to ensure the vegetables are properly coated, then bake for 20 minutes until so. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the tray.

Step 3

Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas. Begin by toasting the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or so, until their aromas are released, then crush them in a mortar and pestle.

Step 4

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the cumin and garlic and stir gently. Fry for a minute or so, then add the chickpeas, lemon juice, measured just-boiled water, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

Step 5

Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the chickpeas have softened. Then remove the lid and increase the heat for a few minutes to evaporate any liquid from the pan. Set aside and leave to cool.

Step 6

To make the tahini sauce, place all the ingredients in a small bowl with ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper and mix with a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You may need to add a touch more water if your tahini is very thick; you are looking for a sauce that is the consistency of runny honey.

Step 7

Assemble the dish by placing the lettuces, parsley, chickpeas and sweet potatoes in a large serving bowl. Pour over the tahini sauce and toss everything together well. Top with pumpkin seeds and crumbled feta, if using, then finish with a generous sprinkling of sumac and black pepper