Plump disks of roasted sweet potato, shreds of kale, popped golden turmeric chickpeas, all slathered in an easy and hugely nourishing za’atar hummus dressing. An easy vegan lunch, side dish or salad – the choice is yours.
Is this a salad, a side dish or lunch? I’m really not sure, perhaps because it is all three. And, if you are weird like me, it can be breakfast, too (note to self: slip on a poached egg next time). So, it is flexible.
It is also patient: have it warm with just-roasted sweet potatoes, or let it hang around in the kitchen while you prep other dishes, or do an errand. It will wait. Just don’t eat it straight from the fridge, or you will lose the balance of taste and texture that this easy recipe provides for very little effort. Yes, store it in the fridge if you like (sans chickpeas, please) but bring it to room temperature to enjoy the full flavour.
I’ve seen platters of this kind of dish at numerous Edinburgh cafes over the past few years. Frequently as great hulking sweet potato wedges subsumed under a weight of ubiquitous (but nonetheless delicious) pomegranate arils and a blanket of chopped herbs. Often with lentils or chickpeas; definitely with a yogurt dressing. Usually they are chilled within an inch of their lives – food hygiene regs. If of a mind to have a salady lunch this is what I often will choose, and never regret doing so – despite the unwanted chill. You can’t really go wrong from a nutritional perspective – loads of beta carotene, plant protein and fibre. And I love the contrast of savoury with a subtle touch of natural sweetness. Don’t you?
Today’s recipe is lighter than it first appears – feel good food, that does you good, without weighing you down. Kale, torn and then lightly massaged in the hand to soften those often stubborn fibres, is threaded amongst the bright, lightly roasted disks of sweet potato; and the whole thing is anointed with a three-ingredient dressing, pebble dashed with toasted seeds, and finally topped with oven-popped (yes, popped!), turmeric-coated chickpeas. We absolutely adore it. Lately, it has landed on the table at work and at home in various guises. Sometimes cumin-flecked black beans instead of chickpeas; sometimes with the extra healthy monounsaturated fat and creamy taste from buttery-ripe avocado; herbs are gathered and torn over the top if the mood strikes me. It is a hugely flexible recipe. More a template, I suppose.

green salad with nasturtiums and avocado, plus simple lemon vinaigrette
At work I will serve this with two other salads – lately my Greek take on the Italian panzanella, as well as a green salad flecked with nasturtiums from my garden. But if it is just me, and I’m not having to show off the versatility of a plant-heavy diet, just a plate of this, some leaves and I’m happy.
So, I guess it really is lunch.
Is there a recipe that you make that you can eat – reasonably – at any meal? And, do you hate over-chilled foods too? Ice cream excepted, of course 😉
Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Popped Chickpeas with Za'atar Hummus Dressing
Plump disks of roasted sweet potato, shreds of kale, popped golden turmeric chickpeas, all slathered in an easy and hugely nourishing za’atar hummus dressing. An easy vegan lunch, side dish or salad – the choice is yours. Keeps well for lunch boxes and picnics, too. xx
6 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2 tbsp olive oil, divided use (or 1 tbsp regular olive oil and 1 tbsp garlic olive oil – I like the one from Greybe Fine Olive Products)
150g cooked chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
60g or so young kale leaves, torn (amount is really up to you)
90-100g hummus (here’s my hummus recipe)
1/2 juicy lemon
2 tsp za’atar (this is my za’atar recipe)
40g toasted seeds of choice – I like pumpkin, sunflower and sesame
Optional: crispy dried onions/shallots
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/ 220C/450F. Slice the potatoes into 2.5 cm rounds, or if big sweet potatoes, large dice. Coat the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and roast on a tray in the oven for about 15-20 minutes – until soft and just getting colour.
2. Meanwhile, toss the chickpeas with about half of the remaining oil and spread on a baking tray, dust with the turmeric and black pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes with the potatoes, or until they begin to burst and a few jump off the tray.
3. Rub the remaining oil onto the kale and massage until the kale has shrunken a little and softened.
4. For the dressing, mix the za’atar and lemon juice with the hummus, loosening it a bit with some water too. You want a properly pourable dressing/sauce.
When the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are ready, let them cool a few minutes before tossing together the potatoes and kale. Decant these veggies into a nice serving dish, drizzle with the dressing, top with chickpeas and sprinkle over the seeds and crispy onions, if using. Eat at room temperature with a green salad.
Ripe for Pinning!
Everything looks so good. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely going to make this for one of my lunches this week! Thanks for the share, what a great healthy recipe to try.
Looks so yummy! Plump sweet potato rounds are the best kinds of rounds!
This looks so delicious! I will definitely try this for myself! Thanks for sharing!
I agree, this is a grand lunch! Enough good stuff to be healthy, bright flavor and enough energy laced ingredients to keep us moving though our busy afternoons.
This just sounds amazing!
Thanks for sharing. ❤
I loved this the minute i saw the ingredients .. Lovely !
Wonderful!
This sounds amazing and the photos are lovely!
You got me at sweet potatoes, lolll! Thank you so much! You just made my dinner easier!!!
You had me at popped chickpeas!! Seriously though, this does look divine Kellie. I’m going to have to take notice from now on, to determine if I prefer overly chilled foods or not. Honestly, outside of chocolate (which should be room temp IMO-not stored in the freezer like Mr. Spicy likes it), I haven’t noticed what temp I like my food at. Can’t wait to make this!! xoxo
Nice 😊 I rarely eat food direct from the fridge, I think it ruins the flavour if it’s too cold x
Very delicious recipe….thanks for sharing 🙂
Love your recipe for Za’atar, I tried it a few weeks ago and it is THE BEST. I’m with you on the addition of avocado— YUM -Kat
You’ve done it again Kellie. Absolutely everything about this meal is a winner. Just returning from several weeks of traveling and I’m craving fresh, bright salads like this. I love how you make the dish creamy with hummus and add nuts and za’atar for extra punch and crunch.
Beautiful!
I love to eat every dish on this Blog
they are remarkable ingrediants
Thanks 🙂
awesome dishes