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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Barbecue Chickpea & Sweet Potato Polenta Bowls

    LAST UPDATED: January 21, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: February 16, 2017

    Barbecue Chickpea & Sweet Potato Polenta Bowls

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chickpeas and tender chunks of sweet potato are simmered in sweet and zesty barbecue sauce and served atop creamy polenta to make these seriously satisfying bowls.

    Overhead View of a Barbecue Polenta Bowl and Spoon, with Water Glass on the Side

    I usually think of barbecue anything as summer food, because of the whole grilling thing. But that's pretty silly, as I rarely grill myself — I just like to drown things in barbecue sauce! So with that in mind, barbecue is perfect for winter. Sweet, spicy, saucy and delicious.

    Sweet Potato & Chickpeas in Barbecue Sauce in a Pot with Wooden Spoon

    And this is one meal that fits all of those categories. In fact, I'd probably turn my nose up at this bowl on a hot day, but the other night when it was freezing out and I was perusing my list of blog recipe ideas to make, this sucker caught my attention right away.

    Close Up of a Barbecue Chickpea & Sweet Potato Polenta Bowls Topped with Scallions, Spoon on the Side

    My initial idea was just barbecue chickpeas over polenta, but then when I was at the store shopping for this recipe a sweet potato caught my eye, and I was a goner. And okay, throwing a sweet potato and chickpeas in sweet barbecue sauce over some polenta does make for the mother of all carby meals, but I'm okay with that. If there's ever a time that I'm okay with layers of carbs piled on carbs, it's mid-February. I'll try to come up with some lighter barbecue fare come summer. ;)

    Barbecue Chickpea & Sweet Potato Polenta Bowl Topped with Tahini and Scallions, Spoon and Water Glass on the Side
    Overhead View of a Barbecue Polenta Bowl and Spoon, with Water Glass on the Side
    5 from 2 votes
    Print

    Barbecue Chickpea & Sweet Potato Polenta Bowls

    Chickpeas and tender chunks of sweet potato are simmered in sweet and zesty barbecue sauce and served atop creamy polenta to make these seriously satisfying bowls.
    Course Entree
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 3
    Calories 491 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    For the Barbecue:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 cup water
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • Dash cayenne pepper
    • 1 small sweet potato, scrubbed and diced (about 1 ½ cups)
    • 1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • salt and pepper to taste

    For the Creamy Polenta

    • 1 cup polenta grits
    • 2-3 cups water
    • 1 cup unflavored soy or almond milk
    • salt and pepper to taste

    For Serving

    • Tahini
    • Chopped scallions

    Instructions

    Make the Barbecue

    1. Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until very fragrant, about 1 minute more.
    2. Add the water, tomato past, apple cider vinegar, molasses, soy sauce, maple syrup, chili powder, and cayenne to the pot. Stir until everything is well blended, then stir in the sweet potato. Raise heat to high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    3. Stir the chickpeas into the pot. Allow everything to simmer until the sweet potato is tender and the sauce is thick, 5 to 10 minutes more. You can add a splash of water during cooking if the sauce gets too thick. Taste test and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

    Make the Creamy Polenta

    1. While the barbecue simmers, place polenta grits, 2 cups of water, and milk into a medium saucepan and stir a few times. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a bit of extra water if mixture becomes too thick. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Serve

    1. Divide the polenta into bowls, then top with the chickpea and sweet potato barbecue. Drizzle with tahini and sprinkle with scallions. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition information does not include tahini.

    Nutrition Facts
    Barbecue Chickpea & Sweet Potato Polenta Bowls
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 491 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Sodium 1099mg46%
    Potassium 889mg25%
    Carbohydrates 89.7g30%
    Fiber 10.8g43%
    Sugar 19.2g21%
    Protein 14.9g30%
    Calcium 90mg9%
    Iron 6.1mg34%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean-Marc Depasse says

      February 17, 2017 at 8:28 am

      Hello,

      I was planning to cook a chickpea/butternut squash tagine this morning, when your email arrived...
      Having all the ingredients, I decided to change my plan and to give this tempting recipe a try.
      No regrets, that was "excellent !"

      A big thank-you for sharing this with us.

      Kind regards,
      Jean-Marc

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 19, 2017 at 6:03 pm

        Hi Jean-Marc! I'm glad you decided to give this a try, and really glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for stopping back to let me know. :)

        Reply
    2. annie says

      February 17, 2017 at 9:06 am

      I love everything about this dish! It sounds so addicting and filling, and much healthier than canned supermarket baked beans.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 19, 2017 at 6:03 pm

        It was so tasty, and definitely filling - great for a winter dinner. :)

        Reply
    3. Ellen Lederman says

      January 12, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and loved it! Easy to make and so flavorful. My tweaks were adding a chipotle in adobe sauce, ranch dressing instead of tahini since I had made some up for another meal and wanted to use it up, and a layer of sauteed spinach on top of the polenta to add greens visually and nutritionally. Thanks so much. Perfect dinner.

      Reply
    4. Tracey says

      March 02, 2018 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      Got to say ... made this today and it was awesome... substituted quinoa for couscous...

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 03, 2018 at 10:41 am

        Yay!! I bet this was awesome with quinoa! Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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