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These Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Cream Chipotle Sauce are a delicious plant based meal, also great for vegetarian meal prep.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls
I love sweet potatoes and bowl recipes so I love this plant based meal in one dish. These bowls are very satisfying due to their long list of nutritious ingredients. You get protein and fiber from a combination of brown rice, beans, Greek yogurt, and sweet potatoes, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals from the kale and avocado.
This recipe is slightly adapted from Meat to the Side: A Plant-Foward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate by Liren Baker. Her cookbook is a beginner’s guide for people who want a delicious way to add more vegetables to their diets!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls Ingredients:
- Vegetables: Kale, avocado, pickled red onions, roasted sweet potatoes seasoned with salt, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder
- Starches: Canned black beans, brown rice
- Chipotle Sauce: Plain fat-free Greek yogurt, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic, salt
- Flavor: Cilantro, lime wedges
How To Make Quick Pickled Red Onions
- 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
2. Place the sliced onion in a jar. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onion and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 1 hour.
3. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated for future use. The onions will keep for up to 2 weeks, Yield 2 cups.
Sweet Potato Bowl Meal Prep
Burrito bowls make a healthy lunch throughout the week and are great for meal prep. You can make all the components ahead of time and then portion them out in glass containers. I’d put the sauce and pickled red onions in individual containers and wait to cut the avocado until right before eating.
These sweet potato bowls last about 4 days in the refrigerator.
Variations:
- Grains: Swap brown rice for quinoa or white rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Protein: Add grilled chicken or an egg for extra protein.
- Beans: Sub pinto beans for black beans.
- Vegetables: Add bell peppers or corn.
- Onions: If you don’t want to make the pickled red onions, use fresh red or green onions.
- Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, skip it.
- Heat: Add fresh jalapeños or hot sauce to make it spicy.
- Salad: Turn your sweet potato bowl into a salad by omitting the rice and adding more kale.
More Bowl Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chicken Taco Poblano Rice Bowls
- Spicy Pork Brussels Bowls
- Quinoa Huevos Rancheros Bowls
- Greek Chicken Meal Prep Rice Bowls
- Spicy Sriracha Tofu Rice Bowls
Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls
These Roasted Sweet Potato and Chipotle Black Bean Bowls are a filling vegetarian lunch or dinner, perfect for meal prep.
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 bowl
Ingredients
FOR THE KALE:
- 2 cups de-stemmed and chopped kale
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE ROASTED SWEET POTATOES:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise (28 oz peeled)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
FOR THE CREAMY CHIPOTLE SAUCE:
- 1 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt, or dairy-free yogurt for vegan or DF
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Kosher salt
FOR THE BOWLS:
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 4 ounces avocado, from 1 small pitted, peeled, and diced
- 1 cup Quick-Pickled Red Onions
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges
Instructions
Prepare the kale:
- Place the kale, olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Massage the kale for 1 minute. It will shrink in volume.
- Let sit at room temperature while making the rest.
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven.
- While the oven preheats, place the peeled and quartered sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the sweet potatoes just until the edges give a bit to pressure from a fork, about 8 minutes. You don’t want to overcook them, or they could turn mushy.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle the spice blend onto the sweet potatoes and toss to evenly coat.
- Scatter the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until browned and fork-tender.
Make the creamy chipotle sauce:
- Place the yogurt, chipotle pepper, lime juice, garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt in a blender or small food processor. Blend or process until smooth.
- Season to taste with salt. Set aside until ready to assemble the bowls, or store in the refrigerator.
Assemble the bowls:
- Fill serving bowls with the kale, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, brown rice, and avocado.
- Garnish with the pickled red onions, creamy chipotle sauce, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 bowl, Calories: 585 kcal, Carbohydrates: 96 g, Protein: 20 g, Fat: 15.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 1.5 mg, Sodium: 695 mg, Fiber: 21 g, Sugar: 13.5 g
