This easy homemade Tahini Sweet Potatoes recipe combines the sweetness of oven roasted sweet potatoes with the creaminess of tahini.
Our Lebanese inspired salad is vegan and vegetarian friendly, featuring flavourful ingredients like Middle Eastern spices, fresh herbs and spicy hot sauce.
This simple sheet pan meal features chickpeas, sweet potato and red onions that are baked until golden brown. Plates are then dressed with juicy cherry tomatoes and fragrant chopped parsley.
Deliciously healthy Tahini Sweet Potatoes will be your new favourite Middle Eastern salad, which is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free.
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What Are Tahini Sweet Potatoes?
The sweet potato is a large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous root vegetable. Sweet potato is only distantly related to the common potato. Although darker sweet potatoes are often referred to as “yams” in parts of North America, the species is not a true yam.
Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself or as a major ingredient in hummus, mutabbal, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, the South Caucasus, as well as parts of North Africa.
Tahini-based sauces are common in Lebanese restaurants as a side dish or as a garnish, usually including lemon juice, salt, and garlic, and thinned with water. Tahini sauce is also a popular topping for meat and vegetables in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Our healthy Tahini Sweet Potatoes blissfully combine the sweet flavour of sweet potatoes with the creamy consistency of tahini.
This vegan and vegetarian recipe can be served as a main course at lunch or dinner as the dish is hearty thanks to the protein-rich chickpeas.
We also love to serve roasted sweet potato with tahini as a salad at brunch with other popular breakfast recipes.
Travel to Lebanon by Making Tahini Sweet Potatoes at Home
I love traveling to the Middle East and North Africa.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in the Middle East, from authentic markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Tahini Sweet Potatoes recipe via adventures that had me zig-zagging through Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Dubai. You guessed it! Some of my fondest food memories while traveling in the Middle East include fragrant feasts featuring roasted Sweet Potato with Tahini sauce.
I ate Tahini Sweet Potatoes at a traditional Moroccan riad, on food tours of Istanbul and Bodrum, accompanied by Egyptian tea on a Nile Cruise and in bustling market in Cairo, late night snack in Amman, al fresco market lunch in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and accompanied by steaming bowls of soup at a massive Middle Eastern barbecue in the middle of the Dubai desert while belly dancers twirled under the night sky.
Where To Eat Healthy Tahini Sweet Potatoes
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Lebanese restaurant that serves traditional Tahini Sweet Potatoes.
Haven’t traveled to the Middle East before? It may be helpful to first sample the healthy dish at a local restaurant to better understand how the recipe is served. You’ll get an idea for the ideal portion size to serve each guest, perfect sweet potato to chickpea ratio and mixture of spices and herbs to flavour the salad.
In Toronto, popular Middle Eastern restaurants that may serve healthy Tahini Sweet Potatoes include Parallel, Byblos, Tabule, Fat Pasha, Maha’s, Masrawy Kitchen, Masrawy Kitchen and Paramount Fine Foods.
My Family Loves Vegan Sweet Potato with Tahini
When my family moved to Oakville the first restaurant we visited was a local Egyptian and Lebanese restaurant called Agabi. Ranked as one of the best restaurants in Oakville, Agabi became our family’s go-to Middle Eastern take out joint.
After falling in love with Middle Eastern food at home, we enjoyed vacations to the region, feasting on endless bowls of hummus, falafel and tahini sweet potatoes.
I knew my family would love this healthy vegan dish as they enjoy sweet potato recipes, protein-rich chickpeas, cream tahini sauce and Middle Eastern spices.
We like to serve Sweet Potato with Tahini as a meal all on its own when vegan friends or family are visiting for lunch or dinner. It can also be served as a side salad at brunch alongside your favourite breakfast dishes.
Health Benefits
Our roasted Lebanese Tahini Sweet Potatoes recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Chickpeas are rich in cancer-fighting vitamin C, energy-boosting B vitamins, and gut-healthy fibre.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
A rich source of blood-building iron, cumin may also help balance your blood sugar levels and reduce bad cholesterol. It is also traditionally used as a digestive aid.
Paprika is rich in vitamin A, capsaicin, and carotenoid antioxidants. These substances may help prevent inflammation and improve your cholesterol, eye health and blood sugar levels.
Rich in energy-boosting manganese, cinnamon is also antibacterial and may protect your brain against Alzheimer’s disease.
An excellent source of vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes boost your immune system and help keep your skin healthy. They also have a very low glycemic index, providing a steady supply of energy to your body.
A useful source of copper, calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, sesame seeds help support circulatory, digestive and skeletal health.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin C, folate, and iron, parsley helps keep your bones and blood healthy, and protects your skin from damage by free radicals.
Recipe Cooking Tips
If it’s your first time making homemade Tahini Sweet Potatoes be sure to review our detailed step-by-step recipe below. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started:
- This Tahini Sweet Potatoes recipe is quick & easy to make as the most of the ingredients are roasted together in the oven on a baking tray.
- We’ve used red onions in this recipe but you can substitute for shallots or sweet vidalia onions.
- We’ve used olive oil but you can use a flavourless vegetable oil like canola or avocado instead.
- We’ve used cherry tomatoes in this recipe but you can substitute with plum or beefsteak tomatoes if you prefer.
- We suggest using canned chickpeas if you’re looking to make the salad last minute. Or soak dried garbanzo beans overnight and cook over the stove in a pot.
- Only use fresh lemon juice not store bought concentrate. If you want to add additional citrus flavour sprinkle in fresh lemon zest.
- We’ve used raw garlic in this recipe chopped into a fine mince but you could also use roasted garlic.
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. The flavours just keep getting better as the chickpeas and sweet potatoes soak in the creamy dressing.
What To Serve with Tahini Sweet Potatoes
If you’re serving a Middle Eastern lunch or dinner tossing together this tasty Tahini Sweet Potatoes recipe is a must!
You can enjoy the healthy vegan salad all on it’s own as a light lunch with some flatbread or serve it as part of a warm mezze at a Lebanese-themed dinner party.
You may enjoy serving Sweet Potato with Tahini alongside these other Lebanese recipes:
- Easy One Pot Lebanese Beef Hashweh Rice
- Mdardara Lebanese Caramelized Onion Lentil Rice
- Ejjeh Vegetarian Lebanese Herb Omelette
- Lebanese Spiced Minced Beef Stuffed Pita Arayes
- Vegan Lebanese Cabbage Malfouf Salad
- Moghrabieh Lebanese Chickpea Chicken Couscous
- Mutabbal Vegan Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip
- Healthy Chicken Shawarma Plate
- Lebanese Toum Kebab Shop Garlic Sauce
- Healthy Vegan Keto Za’atar Butter Bean Dip
- Lebanese Kibbeh Fried Beef Croquette
- Healthy Vegetarian Lebanese Eggplant Fatteh
- Lebanese Lamb Dumplings Shish Barak
- Lebanese Lentil Soup Adas Bil Hamod
After dinner why not delight your guests with Middle Eastern desserts like Mahalabia and Sweet Lebanese Sesame Tahini Rolls.
You May Also Enjoy These Sweet Potato Recipes…
- Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato
- Sweet Potato Porridge Breakfast Bowls
- Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Mexican Sweet Potato Rice
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
- Chupe de Quinoa Gluten Free Peruvian Soup
- Bolo de Caco Madeira Sweet Potato Portuguese Rolls
How To Make Lebanese Vegan Tahini Sweet Potatoes
Oven Baked Tahini Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- baking sheet
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 Small Red Onion halved, thinly sliced
- 15 oz Canned Chickpeas rinsed, drained
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil divided
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Pinch Ground Cinnamon
- Kosher Salt + Black Pepper
- 3 Medium Sweet Potatoes halved lengthwise
- 1 cup Tahini Sesame Paste
- 1/4 cup Ice Cold Water
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 12 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Parsley finely chopped
- Hot Sauce to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Toss the onions and chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Push the onion chickpea mixture to the edges of the pan.
- Rub the cut surfaces of the sweet potatoes with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the sweet potatoes, cut-side down, in the centre of the sheet pan. Bake until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 45 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the tahini, cold water and lemon juice to create a creamy dressing.
- When the potatoes are tender, put two halves on each plate. Pile the chickpeas and onion on top. Drizzle tahini sauce and garnish with tomatoes, parsley, and hot sauce.
Nutrition
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