Miso Sweet Potato Power Bowl | Vegan Recipe

Let’s Talk About This Bowl (and Why My Kitchen Smells Amazing)

If you’ve never had a Miso Sweet Potato Power Bowl, oh friend, you’re in for a treat. First time I tried this, it was on a chilly Tuesday when the fridge looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Seriously, all I had was one slightly squishy sweet potato, and my favorite tub of miso paste giving me the side eye. Fast forward an hour and my house smelled like some fancy vegan cafe in Brooklyn (except way messier, and my dog kept trying to steal a chickpea). Now, I make this whenever I’m craving something hearty but not, you know, food-coma-inducing.

Why You’ll Love This (Or: Why My Family Hounds Me for It)

I make this when my brain says “salad” but my heart wants comfort food. My partner always calls dibs on the roasted chickpeas, and honestly, I don’t blame them—there’s something magic about biting into that crisp, salty goodness. Plus, it’s filling, sneaks in a ridiculous amount of veg, and works no matter what’s lurking in the veggie drawer. (Well, except that one time I tried it with okra. Not my best move. Learned my lesson.) And, if you’re a bowl-scooper like me, the layers keep it interesting ’til the last bite.

(Sidenote: I once forgot the miso. Don’t do that. It’s literally in the name.)

What You’ll Need (Swaps and Secrets Included)

• 1 large sweet potato, diced (I sometimes use Japanese sweet potatoes—sweeter, a bit starchier. Up to you!)
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained. Or, if you’re feeling saintly, cook them from scratch.
• 2 cups kale or spinach, roughly torn (Truth? Any dark leafy green works just fine. I’ve used baby chard in a pinch.)
• 1 avocado, sliced (or half if you’re saving some for toast tomorrow)
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa—sometimes I skip it and just pile on extra veg
• For the miso maple sauce: 2 Tbsp white miso paste (My gran always swore by Yamabuki, but store brand is fine!)
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (Honey works, but then it’s not vegan. Your call.)
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (Apple cider vinegar is also good enough for me)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (you could swap in olive oil, if that’s all you have)
• Dash of chili flakes (if you want a bit of a kick)
• Sea salt + black pepper to taste

How I Usually Make It—And What Usually Goes Wrong

1. Toss the diced sweet potato with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper — spread onto a baking tray. Crank the oven to about 400°F (or 200°C if you’re on my side of the pond). Roast for 30 minutes or until they look all golden and a bit crispy. (This is the point where I ‘taste test’ about half the tray. Who doesn’t?)
2. While those roast, drain and pat your chickpeas dry. Toss them with oil, salt, and, if you’re me, a smidge of smoked paprika. Toss onto another baking sheet and roast them alongside the spuds for about 25 minutes. They’ll get a bit crunchy. Unless you forget about them, like I did once. Chickpea rocks are a thing, apparently.
3. While that’s going, whisk together miso, maple syrup, vinegar, and sesame oil in a little bowl. Sometimes it doesn’t look smooth and that’s ok. Just keep going until it’s as good as it’s gonna get. Taste it now. Too salty? Add syrup. Too sweet? More vinegar.
4. Heat up your quinoa, or just shovel some cold from the fridge straight in—no judgment here. Wilt your kale or spinach in a pan for 2 minutes, or just let the hot veggies take care of it in the bowl. (Actually, I like it both ways, depends if I can be bothered to wash another pan.)
5. Layer up: quinoa, greens, sweet potato, chickpeas, avocado. Drizzle with that zingy miso sauce. Scatter some chili flakes if you like heat. Then I usually add whatever seeds I find rattling around the pantry—pumpkin or sunflower are top notch.
6. Stand back, admire, snap a quick pic for your mate, then tuck in.

Some Notes From My Many, Many Attempts

• Roasting chickpeas with parchment paper makes them less crisp, so skip it unless you hate washing up more than you love crunch.
• If the sauce is thick, thin out with water—just a splash at a time. Got burned here before and ended up with soup. Not ideal.
• Once used purple sweet potato. Looks gorgeous! But the flavor’s just… odd. Still, if you like experimenting, go wild.

Things I’ve Tried (And One Epic Fail)

• Added roasted broccoli once. Actually, loved it.
• Used sriracha in place of chili flakes. Less flaky, more spicy.
• Threw some pickled ginger on at the end—one person loved it, one kid spat it under the table. Go figure.
• One time I tried a peanut butter drizzle instead of miso sauce. Ummm, that’s a no from me. Turns out not everything needs peanut butter.

Do You Need Fancy Gear?

Baking trays are pretty helpful. But I once made do with an old roasting tin and just crammed everything together—it worked fine, just needed a longer bake. And if you don’t have a whisk, a trusty fork gets the miso sauce going just as well. (Or nearly, anyway.)

How to Store It (Though It’s Usually Gone by Morning)

Supposedly, this keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days, but honestly, I can’t vouch for day three; it’s never made it that far in my place. Store everything in separate containers if you remember—keeps the chickpeas crispy.

How I Like to Serve It (And Embarrass My Kids)

I try to make the bowls all neat but inevitably I get distracted and everything melds together. That said, topping it with a handful of toasted seeds feels fancy. My younger one, for reasons unclear, insists on ketchup. Not judging… ok, I’m judging a bit.

Pro Tips (Learned the Hard, Slightly Soggy Way)

• Don’t skip drying the chickpeas! I once tried to speed things up and, well, got sad little chickpea mush balls instead of crunch.
• If you forget to preheat the oven, tack on another 5-10 minutes. Otherwise your sweet potatoes will sulk.
• I tend to think marinating the kale in a splash of lemon while you cook is worth the extra fuss—but only if you’re feeling patient (rare for me, honestly).

Real Questions from Real (and Imaginary) Friends

Can you use white potatoes? Sure, though it’s not as sweet. Actually, I think the bowl loses a bit of its magic, but if that’s what you got, go for it.

Is the sauce super salty? Not really, but you can dial back the miso or add more syrup if it’s too much. Feel free to play with it. (I usually do, accidentally.)

Can you make it ahead? Absolutely, just don’t add avocado until serving or it’ll go all brown and sad.

What’s the best substitution for kale? I like baby spinach, but honestly, even arugula works. I once tried lettuce, but meh—not my cup of tea.

Help! My chickpeas are chewy! Oof, been there. Just roast a little longer (but keep an eye so you don’t get chickpea shrapnel). Or eat them chewy—I won’t tell.

What if I don’t have miso? That’s a tough one. Maybe try tahini with a bit more salt? But, it’s really not the same. Sorry, mate.