Recipe

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Traybake with Lemon Yogurt

By Sweat & Snack Editorial Team · 2026-10-09

Roasted sweet potato cubes, chickpeas, red pepper and red onion in a dark baking tray with parsley, a bowl of lemon yogurt and half a lemon beside it.

This sweet potato and chickpea traybake puts orange sweet potato, chickpeas, red pepper and onion on one roasting tray, with a lemon yogurt sauce stirred together while the vegetables cook. Start the sweet potato first, add the remaining ingredients, and roast until the cubes are tender. It is a flexible vegetarian dinner idea for an evening when you want a straightforward method and a short ingredient list.

The quantities below make about three servings, depending on appetite and what you serve alongside. Allow roughly 15 minutes to prepare and 35–45 minutes in the oven; use tenderness rather than the clock as the final check. This is an original suggested recipe, not a kitchen-tested timing guarantee. For another dinner format, explore our crispy tofu rice bowls.

Ingredients for the traybake

500g sweet potato, cut into roughly 2cm cubes
Two 400g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, about 480g drained in total
One large red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
One medium red onion, cut into wedges with a little root attached
Two tablespoons olive oil, divided
One teaspoon smoked paprika
One teaspoon ground cumin
Half a teaspoon garlic powder
A quarter teaspoon salt, or to taste, and black pepper
Two tablespoons chopped parsley, optional

For the lemon yogurt

150g plain unsweetened yogurt
One tablespoon lemon juice, then more to taste
One or two tablespoons water, only if needed to loosen
Black pepper and a small pinch of salt, optional

Use ready-cooked canned chickpeas for this method. If starting with dried chickpeas, cook them fully according to their package instructions before measuring the drained quantity. The oven step here is for roasting cooked chickpeas, not cooking dried pulses from scratch. Keep the yogurt chilled until you need it.

How to make the traybake

Prepare the oven and produce. Heat the oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan. Use a large rimmed roasting tray, about 30 × 40cm, or two smaller trays if the ingredients will be crowded. Wash the sweet potato, pepper, lemon and herbs under running water before cutting, including sweet potato you plan to peel. The FDA produce guidance advises against washing produce with soap.
Give the sweet potato a head start. Toss the cubes with one tablespoon oil, half the paprika, half the cumin and a little of the salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and vegetables. Dry the rinsed chickpeas with a clean towel. Toss them with the pepper, onion, remaining oil, remaining paprika and cumin, and garlic powder. Carefully add to the hot tray, turn the sweet potato, and spread everything out again.
Finish roasting. Return to the oven for about 20–30 minutes, turning once. Check a large sweet potato cube with a fork: it should yield easily. The pepper and onion should be softened and the chickpeas lightly browned. If the cubes are still firm, continue in short intervals and check again; reduce the heat if the edges darken too quickly.
Stir the sauce. Mix the yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add water a spoonful at a time only if you want a drizzle. Taste before adding optional seasoning. Keep chilled until serving.
Serve. Scatter parsley over the tray if using. Divide onto plates and spoon the lemon yogurt alongside or over your own serving. Leave sauce off portions intended for storage.

If your tray is crowded

As a cooking suggestion, split the ingredients between two trays instead of stacking them. Rotate their positions when you turn the vegetables, and judge each tray separately. Ovens and tray materials vary. Aim for tender sweet potato and lightly browned edges rather than expecting every chickpea to become crunchy.

Simple swaps, including Indian options

Replace parsley with coriander leaves and smoked paprika with mild paprika or a smaller amount of chilli powder to suit your taste. Thick plain curd can stand in for yogurt; loosen only as needed. Fully cooked kabuli chana works in place of canned chickpeas at the same drained weight. These are optional flavour and shopping suggestions.

For a vegan version, choose an unsweetened plant-based yogurt you enjoy. Dairy yogurt contains milk; plant-based alternatives may contain soy or nuts, so check ingredient and allergen labels. Serve with a roti, pita or another accompaniment if wanted, checking those labels too when avoiding particular ingredients.

Serving and nutrition context

USDA MyPlate includes beans, peas and lentils among vegetarian protein-food choices. This recipe combines cooked chickpeas with vegetables and a yogurt sauce as one meal idea. Exact calories, protein and other nutrient amounts depend on brands, drained weights, sauce choices and the portion you eat; no precise nutrition total is claimed here.

For more combinations, see our vegetarian lunch guide. Use our food-label comparison guide when comparing packaged ingredients, and our meal-prep guide to organise shopping and containers.

Store and reheat leftovers safely

USDA food-safety guidance says to refrigerate perishables within two hours, or within one hour when the temperature is above 32°C (90°F). Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly; do not leave a full tray on the counter waiting to reach room temperature. Keep the lemon yogurt in a separate covered container and follow its label storage instructions.

USDA advises using most cooked leftovers within three to four days and reheating them to 74°C (165°F), checked with a food thermometer. Reheat only the traybake portion you intend to eat, then add chilled sauce at serving. Discard perishables left out beyond the time limits rather than relying on their appearance.

Our nutrition hub offers general food guidance. If a health condition affects your diet, follow your clinician’s advice; our conditions guidance can help organise questions.

Recipe and image notes

FDA and USDA source guidance was checked on 9 October 2026. Ingredient amounts, flavour swaps, serving ideas and cooking workflow are original suggestions. The feature photograph and Pin are original AI-generated photographic illustrations of the listed dish.