Roasted Sweet Potato Chickpea Noodle Bowls with Sesame Ginger Sauce
A healthy and satisfying noodle bowl topped with roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, fresh vegetables then drizzled with a flavorful sweet and salty sesame ginger sauce.
Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, maple syrup and salt on a parchment lined (or greased) large baking sheet. Make sure they are well coated and that the pieces are not touching each other. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For the Chickpeas:
For crispy seasoned chickpeas: On a separate unlined baking sheet, (or the same one as the sweet potatoes if your baking sheet is big enough) toss the chickpeas with the oil, sesame seeds, spices and salt. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing once. If you like them crispier, bake 5-10 minutes longer. If baking these at the same time as the sweet potatoes, set the oven racks so they are arranged as far apart as possible to prevent the bottom tray from steaming.For softer seasoned chickpeas: Toss the chickpeas with the oil, sesame seeds, spices and salt in a bowl. Wrap them up in a piece of tin foil and place them on the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes.
For the Noodles:
While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, cook your noodles according to the package directions. Do not overcook – for rice noodles, I recommend cooking them a minute or 2 less than most package directions . Drain and rinse with cold water to remove the starches and to stop the cooking. Toss with a bit of oil if not serving immediately to prevent them from sticking together as they sit.
For the Sesame Ginger Sauce:
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, or shake together in a jar. The thickness of tahini varies between brands – if your tahini is a bit thicker, you can add a bit of water to get the desired consistency. Add the water in 1 tablespoon increments so you don't over-dilute it.
To Serve:
Toss the noodles with the sauce (use 3/4 to start and then taste before adding the rest). For each bowl, top the noodles with roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, the sliced veggies and cilantro.
Keep leftovers refrigerated up to 5 days, storing the fresh veggies in a separate container to prevent sogginess. The sauce freezes well on its own.
*if pre-chopped, frozen sweet potatoes are not available where you live, you may use 3 or 4 fresh small/medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces.** if frozen chickpeas are not available where you live, you may use one 15-ounce (425 g) can of chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cups). Drain, rinse and pat dry before tossing with spices and oil.The sauce recipe doubles really well. It's great as a marinade, dip for salad rolls and fresh veggies, and dressing for grain salads.