Can I make this grain bowl ahead of time?

This is a recipe where you can get a jump on many of the steps for a quicker assembly. The chickpeas can be prepared up to 1 week in advance, the dressing can be made 3 days in advance, the grains cooked 2 days in advance and the sweet potatoes 1 day in advance. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers until you are ready to assemble.

What other vegetables or toppings can I use?

You can use whatever vegetables you want; this recipe is a great way to use up leftover veggies you have in your fridge. Instead of sweet potatoes, you could try making the grain bowl with butternut squash, zucchini, beets or carrots.

How should I store leftovers?

If you have leftovers, cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to 3 days. If you prepped the recipe a day in advance, be sure to count that as a day.

Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls

These Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls Are Packed with 12 Grams of Good-for-Your-Gut Fiber

5.0

(5)

4 Reviews

This sweet potato and chickpea bowl will make your gut happy! This nutrient-dense bowl is rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants, which support a healthy digestive system. Sorghum, a gluten-free ancient grain, is packed with fiber and essential nutrients that aid digestion and support gut health; the deliciously tangy yogurt-based drizzle offers a probiotic boost.

Marianne Williams

Published on October 7, 2024

Tested by

Amanda Stanfield

Reviewed by Dietitian

Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD

a photo of the Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowl served in a bowl — Photo:
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

No Added Sugar Nut-Free Healthy Pregnancy Soy-Free High-Fiber Vegetarian High-Protein Egg-Free Gluten-Free Gut Healthy Anti-Inflammatory Mediterranean Diet

Get ready for a flavor party with our Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowl. The sorghum (or farro), sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado and greens all contribute to the crave-worthy textures in this recipe. Those same ingredients also offer gut-health benefits by providing fiber, which is great for your digestive health and to help reduce overall inflammation. The yogurt dressing also provides a probiotic gut-health benefit when you choose a brand with live and active cultures. Read on for our expert timesaving tips, so you can get this recipe into your regular meal rotation.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

Save time in the kitchen with some store-bought shortcuts, like pre-roasted vegetables, crispy chickpea snacks and bottled dressing.
You can add some fresh herbs to our dressing recipe for an extra pop of freshness and a light green hue.
For extra flavor and visual appeal, top the salad with whole or chopped cashews, pistachios or peanuts.

Nutrition Notes

Sorghum and farro are equally nutritious options for this recipe. The fiber in each of these whole grains can help regulate your digestive system, helping to prevent and relieve constipation.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, which plays a major role in keeping your gut healthy by providing fuel for your gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids, which can help reduce overall inflammation.
Chickpeas contain resistant starch, which helps feed gut bacteria—this not only makes your microbiome healthier, it can also offer some pretty awesome heart-health benefits, like lowering your cholesterol.
Whole-milk Greek yogurt is the base of the dressing for this recipe. When you choose a yogurt that contains live and active cultures, you also gain the benefit of additional probiotics, which can help diversify your gut bacteria—that’s good news for your microbiome, because a diversified gut is a healthy gut.

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Ingredients

1 cup whole-grain sorghum or whole-grain farro, rinsed
2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-by-½-inch pieces
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
1 teaspoon ground coriander, divided
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
½ cup whole-milk plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 cups spring mix salad greens
½ avocado, thinly sliced
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add sorghum (or farro); reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour for sorghum and 30 minutes for farro. Drain and set aside to cool.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Meanwhile, place a large rimmed baking sheet on center oven rack; preheat to 425°F. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon each paprika, coriander and onion powder; toss to coat. Remove the hot pan from the oven; spread the sweet potato mixture on it in an even layer, ensuring most of the sweet potatoes are not touching. Using a rubber spatula, scrape as much oil and seasoning as possible from the bowl onto the potatoes; reserve the bowl. Roast the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Meanwhile, place chickpeas in the reserved bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon each paprika and coriander; toss to coat. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven; stir and move them to the edges of the pan to create space in the center. Spread the chickpeas in an even layer in the center space. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy and the sweet potatoes are tender and browned in spots, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Whisk ½ cup yogurt, 3 tablespoons each water and lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 teaspoon mustard and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until combined. Combine 3 cups salad greens, the sorghum (or farro) and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the dressing; toss to coat. Divide among 4 wide bowls; top each bowl with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado and 2 tablespoons feta; drizzle each with ¾ teaspoon oil and about 2 tablespoons dressing.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: ¾ cup greens, about ¾ cup cooked sorghum (or farro), about ¾ cup sweet potatoes, ½ cup chickpeas & 2 tablespoons feta

Calories 649, Fat 34g, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 17mg, Carbohydrates 71g, Total Sugars 8g, Added Sugars 0g, Protein 19g, Fiber 12g, Sodium 718mg, Potassium 779mg

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this grain bowl ahead of time?

This is a recipe where you can get a jump on many of the steps for a quicker assembly. The chickpeas can be prepared up to 1 week in advance, the dressing can be made 3 days in advance, the grains cooked 2 days in advance and the sweet potatoes 1 day in advance. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers until you are ready to assemble.
What other vegetables or toppings can I use?

You can use whatever vegetables you want; this recipe is a great way to use up leftover veggies you have in your fridge. Instead of sweet potatoes, you could try making the grain bowl with butternut squash, zucchini, beets or carrots.
How should I store leftovers?

If you have leftovers, cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to 3 days. If you prepped the recipe a day in advance, be sure to count that as a day.