Sweet Potato, Pepper, & Kidney Bean Bowls
Meatless Kidney Bean Bowls are loaded with spiced roasted veggies, zesty couscous, and a vibrant lemon-herb sauce. So good and so simple!
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $8.94
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/3 cup roasted and salted cashews
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley see note 1
- 1 to 2 lemons plus additional lemon wedges for serving if desired
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño no seeds or ribs, optional, plus more for serving if desired
- 1 teaspoon honey
Bowls
- 3 cups sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch chunks, 2 medium potatoes
- 1 large red pepper cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup uncooked couscous see note 2
- 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
- 1 large ripe avocado thinly sliced or chopped
Instructions
- Sauce: Place cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour about 1 cup of boiling water over them. Let stand for 45 minutes to an hour, then thoroughly drain. Add drained cashews, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, water, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper), jalapeño, and honey to a powerful blender. Blend until completely smooth. Place in the fridge to get cold and for the flavors to intensify and meld. The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated; simply stir before serving and thin with water if needed.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Peel and chop sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces (1/2-inch cubes). Place on a very large sheet pan with cut bell pepper (1-inch pieces) and toss with the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and salt/pepper (to taste; I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Toss everything together, spread everything out so it’s not overlapping, and place in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes, remove, and stir around, then return to the oven for another 10–15 minutes or until crisp-tender. (Timing will depend on the size of the potatoes and how spaced out they are.)
- Remove the sweet potato and pepper tray from the oven and add the drained and rinsed kidney beans directly onto the tray with the frozen corn. Toss everything and roast another 2–3 minutes or until warmed through. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- While veggies are roasting, pour the broth or water into a small pot. Add the butter or olive oil and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove pot from heat. Stir in the uncooked couscous and cover the pot with a lid. After about 2–4 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed; fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in 1/4 cup (50g) of the parsley-lemon sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and about 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (again, to personal preference).
- Fill 4 bowls with even amounts of couscous. Divide the roasted sweet potato and bean mixture among the bowls. Add fresh chopped or sliced avocado to each bowl. If desired, add a wedge of lemon to each bowl and thinly sliced or diced jalapeños. Spoon lots of that chilled sauce over everything and enjoy immediately. Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to a week—it goes great on salads, with veggies, etc.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Typically flat-leaf Italian parsley and curly parsley is in the produce section of the store. Avoid curly parsley—it’s usually used as a garnish and won’t contribute much flavor. When measuring, there’s no need to remove the leaves from the stems—simply grab about half of a large bunch and twist off to loosely pack into a measuring cup.
Note 2: There are several types of couscous, so make sure to get the small couscous so it cooks in this short time. It’s typically found by the rice and quinoa in the grocery store.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the leftovers and reheat when ready to eat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 81.6g | Protein: 15.4g | Fat: 31.3g | Sodium: 102.1mg | Fiber: 13.4g | Sugar: 9.9g