
I randomly threw together a rough version of this sheet pan dinner a few months ago and shared it on Instagram. My DM’s were filled with questions about when I was publishing the recipe. Well, I finally got around to it! This one is so simple that it barely needs a recipe honestly. But I also understand that sometimes an inspiration point or a defined sauce is helpful for folks. Similarly, this sheet pan salad has an easy prep journey.
Plant based sheet pan dinners are definitely a thing at our house. I’m basically always roasting some type of vegetable to have with a meal or to just have on hand. I’ll then just use the sheet pan as a vessel to heat up cooked grains, beans etc along with the veg. Super convenient! If you’re using parchment paper on your pan, it makes cleanup even easier.
With this recipe, I start by making a version of my really simple, ginger-y vegan peanut sauce. Then, I move to roasting the sweet potatoes in olive oil and spices. They get a head start while I toss the broccoli rabe, chickpeas, and tomatoes in more spices and olive oil. Those are added to the sheet pan at the 30 minute mark. Once everything is tender, I take it out and top with toasted pumpkin seeds, red onion, and herbs.
I like to serve this with a cooked grain on the side, fresh greens, and extra drizzles of peanut sauce. So easy and satisfying! The sweet potatoes are mellow, the broccoli rabe has that cruciferous edge, the tomatoes bring a bright pop, and the chickpeas are hearty. Plus the peanut sauce is creamy and dreamy!
If you need more sweet potato recipes for your dinner inspiration, check out this Ginger Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Stew, these Sticky Sweet Potato Tacos or these Sweet Potato Cake Patties with Lemony Slaw.
Sweet Potato & Broccoli Rabe Sheet Pan Dinner with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup smooth, natural peanut butter
- 1- inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated with a Microplane
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon tamari soy sauce
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup water
Sweet Potato & Broccoli Rabe Sheet Pan Dinner
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- ½ bunch broccoli rabe, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- ½ small red onion, small dice
- 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup chopped leafy herbs, like cilantro, parsley, mint, basil, or a combination
Notes
- I recommend serving this with your favourite cooked grain (I used quinoa here), a handful of fresh greens, and extra drizzles of the peanut sauce.
- You could use smooth almond butter or tahini instead of peanut butter.
- To make this soy-free, substitute 1 teaspoon of coconut aminos for the tamari in the peanut sauce.
- Leave the peel on the sweet potato if you enjoy it!
- If you’re unsure about the broccoli rabe (it can be bitter for some folks!), simply use regular broccoli cut into florets.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the peanut sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, ginger, lime juice, tamari, salt, pepper, and water. Once you have a totally smooth and slightly fluid sauce, you’re good! Check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, salt and pepper. Once you have the sweet potatoes evenly coated, spread them out on the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, give your chickpeas a quick dry with a kitchen towel. Then, add the chickpeas into the large bowl along with the grape tomatoes, chopped broccoli rabe, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Give everything a thorough toss to make sure that all is coated.
- Once the timer goes off, retrieve the sweet potatoes from the oven Using a spatula, flip over and push the sweet potato pieces to the outer edges of the sheet pan. Then, transfer the chickpeas, tomatoes, and broccoli rabe to the cleared area of the sheet pan. Spread everything out evenly and place the sheet pan back in the oven. Roast this mixture for another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown and the broccoli rabe pieces are wilted and soft.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and drizzle the vegetables with the peanut sauce (there will be extra). Top everything with the diced red onion, pumpkin seeds, and chopped herbs. Enjoy immediately!
Easy to put together. Tasty. Nutrient dense. Filling. Most of the family loved it. And I’m going to try it again using pb2 instead of real peanut butter to lessen the calories and make the protien higher. If it works this will be a repeat for sure.
Fabulous recipe! Very tasty! a bit of time and pots, but well worth it! I substituted the peanut for almond butter. I also substituted tomatoes with red bell pepper. I’m thinking of making this on Christmas because it’s so pretty with the green and the red.
This is a keeper very good!
Fantastic! I served this with Pearl couscous. Will definitely make again. Thanks for a great recipe.
My second time making this! So good. Last time I used sun dried tomatoes (added in after everything was roasted) as I didn’t have fresh tomatoes and it worked super well. Can’t wait to have it again for work lunches :)
So good! My first time cooking broccoli rabe and I stumbled on this recipe and what a lovely surprise! Will definitely be adding to the rotation. Thank you for the dinner inspiration!
Loved this sheet pan dinner. The flavors blend wonderfully together. It’s very filling, too, especially with the addition of quinoa! Will make again.
Thank you for such a great recipe! We loved it and will definitely plan this as part of our regular meal rotation. Lots of easy variations depending on what I have on hand in the fridge and pantry.
This recipe is so easy to make and so delicious!!
Everything we like in one spot! I subbed romanesco for the broccoli rabe, because that’s what we have. This low-maintenance meal (with a great sauce!) is perfect for during the school/workweek (or really anytime… I don’t have the bandwidth for very involved recipes). Please keep them coming!
So delicious and easy! My partner and I just kept looking back and forth at each other while we were eating and saying “oh my god, this is so good”
I love to see First Mess recipes in my inbox! This was delicious & oh so easy. I subbed broccolini in place of the broccoli rabe. I cook vegan meals for my daughter and her husband during the week and First Mess is my go to.
Yum! This looks so satisfying and easy. I’m always on the lookout for more sheet pan dinners. I’ll definitely be trying this one!