These plant based grain bowls topped with crispy maple chili roasted chickpeas and drizzled with a maple tahini dressing are nourishing and delicious. They’re perfect for meal prep! (vegan, gluten-free option)

maple chili roasted chickpea grain bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, arugula, avocado and tahini dressing in a white bowl with another bowl and a bottle of maple syrup in the background.

This post is sponsored by Pure Maple From Canada. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Lively Table running!

It’s the time of year where we’re all trying to make healthy changes. I personally prefer to make healthy changes year round, but the new year is a good time to start fresh! If ‘eat more plants’ is on your list of goals, you’ll love this grain bowl recipe. While I’m not a vegetarian by any means, I always support adding more plants to our diets! These plant based grain bowls are a great place to start, especially if you’re worried that plant based means salads and tofu all the time (hint - it doesn’t).

overhead view of two maple roasted chickpea grain bowls with roasted sweet potatoes, onions, arugula, and avocado with tahini dressing in white bowls with black forks in them.

Why You’ll Love These Grain Bowls

These grain bowls offer a filling, truly nourishing mix of whole grain farro, sweet and smoky roasted chickpeas, roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, peppery arugula, and creamy avocado, all topped with a dreamy maple tahini dressing. The flavors and textures work so well together for a delicious meal filled with plant protein, fiber and healthy fat that won’t leave you hungry in 2 hours.

I love using pure maple syrup from Canada to sweeten both sweet and savory dishes, but especially savory foods like the maple chili roasted chickpeas. Maple syrup adds a rich depth of flavor that works beautifully with the smoky spices. It’s also perfect for sweetening the tahini dressing! Maple syrup cuts the bitterness of tahini for a smooth, delicious dressing you’ll want to drizzle on everything. Not only is pure maple syrup sourced from a single, natural ingredient, it also contains vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. Not that maple syrup should be where you get all of your nutrients, but it can totally be part of a healthy, balanced diet!

How To Make Maple Chili Chickpea Grain Bowls

four image collage showing steps to roasting maple chili chickpeas.

Cook the farro if it’s not already cooked.
Make the chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then dry them well on a clean towel. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, and spices, then spread on a baking sheet and roast, stirring halfway though, until golden and crispy.
Make the sweet potatoes and onion. Toss cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, then spread on another baking sheet. Toss the sliced onion with olive oil and add to the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes. Roast until the onions are soft and sweet potatoes are crispy.
Make the dressing while the chickpeas and sweet potatoes cook. Whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Add warm water as needed to thin.
Assemble the bowls. Add farro to each bowl. Top with a big handful of arugula, sweet potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and sliced avocado. Drizzle with tahini dressing. Dig in!

maple chili roasted chickpea grain bowl in a white bowl with a black fork in it.

Cooking Tips and Recipe Variations

For gluten-free, use your favorite whole grain in place of farro, such as brown rice or quinoa.
I like to cook the farro in broth for more flavor.
Dry the chickpeas well. The more liquid you remove, the crisper they will be. Some of the skins will come off easily, but don’t worry about removing all of the skin.
For extra crispy chickpeas, roast longer, about 40 minutes.
When whisking the dressing, the tahini may seize up a bit. That’s normal. Just keep whisking and add water to thin it out a bit.
These bowls are great for using whatever you have, so feel free to substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes or spinach for the arugula!
If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular paprika, although the flavor of smoked paprika is really delicious!
If you’re not quite ready to jump completely onto the plant based train, top these bowls with salmon, shrimp, or grilled chicken.

Make-Ahead Instructions

These bowls are great for meal prep! If you’d like to make them in advance, I’d suggest assembling the bowls with the farro, sweet potatoes, onions and chickpeas, then adding the arugula, avocado and dressing just before eating. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For more delicious bowl inspiration, you can find breakfast, lunch and dinner bowl recipes in this full roundup!

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Maple Chili Chickpea Grain Bowls

maple chili roasted chickpea grain bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, arugula, avocado and tahini dressing in a white bowl with another bowl in the background.

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: roasted
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the chickpeas:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas
1 tbsp pure maple syrup from Canada
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp kosher salt

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onion:

4 cups cubed sweet potato (about 2 medium)
3 tsp olive oil, divided
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp smoked paprika
1 red onion, sliced

For the Maple Tahini Dressing:

1 clove garlic, finely grated
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp pure maple syrup from Canada
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅓ cup tahini
warm water as needed (3-6 tbsp)

For the Bowls:

2 cups cooked farro (or other whole grain)
3 oz baby arugula
1 small avocado, sliced

Instructions

Cook farro or other grain according to package directions.
Heat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and spread them on a clean towel. Dry them well.
Place chickpeas in a large bowl with maple syrup, olive oil and spices. Stir to coat well. Spread on one of the baking sheets and roast 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Spread onto the other baking sheet, leaving room for the onion.
Toss sliced onion in olive oil and spread onto the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes. Roast at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until onions are soft and sweet potatoes are crispy.
Make the dressing. Whisk the lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and tahini in a bowl. Add warm water as needed to thin until you reach a dressing consistency.
Assemble the bowls. Add ½ cup cooked farro to each bowl with a handful of arugula. Top each with sweet potatoes, roasted onion, chickpeas, and avocado. Drizzle with tahini dressing.

Notes

Tahini dressing recipe from Minimalist Baker. Store extra dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
For more crispy chickpeas, roast up to 40 minutes.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free grain, such as brown rice or quinoa.
If you don’t have smoked paprika, use regular paprika.