Curried Quinoa and Sweet Potato

posted: 06/15/21 — updated: 09/14/21 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe· 5 from 1 review

This one pan curried quinoa and sweet potato is quick and easy to make for a healthy, vegan main or side dish.

Large bowl of curried quinoa with chickpeas and sweet potato topped with sliced chilis and cilantro.

Table of Contents

Features

Make this dish in one pan in about 40 minutes.
Easy to prep and cook.
Vegan, gluten-free, can be oil-free.
Easy to customize with different veggies.
17 g of plant-based protein and 13 g of fibre per serving.
Great for a simple side dish or works as a healthy plant-based entree.

Ingredient Notes

Visual list of ingredients for making a curried quinoa and chickpea recipe.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Olive oil: If you’d like the recipe to be oil-free, you can swap the oil for a splash of water or vegetable broth.
Sweet potato: Lovely sweetness that works well with the curry!
Spices: You’ll need ground ginger, garlic powder and garam masala. To switch things up, you could use a mild yellow curry powder instead of garam masala.
Sugar: Brings out the flavour of the curry and balances the recipe. You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar, cane sugar or even maple syrup.
Vegetable Broth: Any store-bought carton or cube broth or homemade broth works.
Chickpeas: You’ll need 1 15 oz can, drained and well-rinsed. If you prefer, you can cook the chickpeas from scratch, in which case you’ll need about 1.5 cups cooked.
Quinoa: I like to give the quinoa a good rinse under cold water before use. Any colour of quinoa works!
Diced tomatoes: If you can’t find a 14 oz can, you can use half of a 28 oz can (about 1.5 cups) and save the rest for another use like chili or soup!

Step-by-Step with Photos

Before you start: Prepare the sweet potato, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Gather the spices and broth and rinse the quinoa so you’re all ready to go.

Chopped chili, sweet potato, bell pepper and red onion on a cutting board with a knife.

Step 1: In a large pot or skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for about 6 minute until tender and fragrant.

Diced sweet potato, bell pepper and onion cooking in a skillet.

Step 2: Add the spices, broth, chickpeas, diced tomato, sugar, salt and pepper and mix well.

Diced tomatoes, quinoa and spices cooking in a large skillet.

Chickpeas and quinoa cooking in a tomato broth in a large skillet.

Step 3: Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the sweet potato is cooked through.

Curried quinoa with chickpeas in a skillet.

Adjust the seasoning if needed and serve topped with fresh cilantro.

Notes

Oil-Free Option: Use water or broth instead of olive oil.
Any colour of bell pepper works if you don’t have green pepper on hand.
A squeeze of fresh lime juice is nice to brighten it up at the end.
To swap out the protein, omit the chickpeas and serve with baked tofu (or you can do chickpeas and tofu).
I recommend give the quinoa a good rinse under cold water before use.
Additional veggies that work well are broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, kale and spinach. If adding greens like kale or spinach, stir them in at the very end, just enough to wilt and heat through.

Wooden spoon with a spoonful of curried quinoa on it.

Storing

Fridge: Let cool then store up to 5 days in a sealed container.
Freezer: Let cool then store in a good freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Can be enjoyed cold or reheated stovetop or in the microwave.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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