Roasted lentils and chickpeas are served with roasted vegetables, sweet potato, and a simple maple tahini drizzle in this high-protein vegetarian sheet pan dinner. This recipe works with canned lentils or lentils cooked from dry!
This sheet pan dinner with roasted lentils is the fourth recipe in my higher protein vegetarian meals recipe after this Crispy Tofu Salad and Red Lentil Bowls and it clocks in at just over 25 grams of protein per serving.
The sweet potato and veggies are roasted with a Greek-inspired seasoning, and everything pulls together with a delicious maple tahini drizzle that comes together in just a few minutes.
After making crispy chickpeas for many years and many meals, I started wondering what other legumes and beans might take well to roasting.
It turns out that brown and green lentils are delicious when roasted in the oven, and it takes less than 25 minutes to do!
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Ingredients
- Lentils: Green or brown lentils. Red or orange lentils do not work because they are typically much softer. I use canned lentils in this recipe but it also works with lentils cooked from dry.
- Chickpeas: To amp up the amount of protein per serving I add a can of chickpeas. Or you can cook chickpeas from dry using my recipe for Instant Pot chickpeas.
- Sweet potato: The sweet potatoes are roasted using my go-to method for crispy roasted sweet potatoes. This recipe also works with regular potatoes.
- Veggies: Broccoli and peppers. Any variety of peppers works here. Feel free to add extra veggies like carrots or cauliflower.
- Tahini and maple syrup combine with soy sauce and apple cider vinegar to make a simple, sweet, and savory sauce. This recipe is adapted from the maple tahini sauce used in my fall grain bowls.
Canned vs dry lentils
I tested this recipe with both canned and dry lentils. The short story is that both options work, but I prefer canned lentils for convenience.
The longer version:
- Lentils cooked from dry: Takes about 20-25 minutes to cook. Allows for more control over the texture of the roasted lentils. They also hold their structure much better and become crispier more quickly.
- Canned lentils: These tend to be softer than dry lentils, so they do not crisp up as well as lentils cooked from dry. However, they do still roast well and I usually use them out of convenience.
How to make
I roast the lentils/chickpeas and sweet potato/veggies separately because my oven isn't large enough to fit two large sheet pans.
If you have a larger oven or a convection oven then you can roast them at the same time and this will cut down on 30 minutes of cooking time.
Lentils and chickpeas before and after roasting. Note that the lentils are now dark brown and they should be crispy.
Sweet potatoes and veggies before and after roasting. The sweet potato should be softened and the veggies will be turning golden brown.
Cassidy's tips
- Stir the lentils: Stir the roasted lentils at least once, ideally twice, during roasting. This allows even cooking and promotes more airflow. The result is more evenly cooked lentils, as lentils on the outside of the pan tend to cook more quickly.
- Use two sheet pans. One should be for the vegetables and the other for the lentils and chickpeas.
- Pat the lentils dry before tossing them with oil. I use a paper towel or clean dish towel to do this. Less moisture means crispier lentils.
- The lentils pop like popcorn when they are roasting, so don't be alarmed if you hear actual popping noises coming from the oven.
Storage notes
- Makes 3-4 servings, depending on your appetite. This recipe typically makes 3 servings for me.
- As with many other roasted ingredients, roasted lentils do not stay as crispy after reheating. However, they are still delicious and firmer than regular lentils.
- For the best results, I recommend reheating leftover lentils in a skillet with oil. This will help re-crisp them.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days.
More easy sheet pan meals
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Recipe
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Roasted Lentil Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Meal
Ingredients
Roasted Lentils and Chickpeas
- 15 ounce can brown lentils
- 15 ounce can chickpeas
- 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sweet Potatoes and Veggies
- 2 medium sweet potatoes *can peel if desired*
- 2 medium bell peppers any color/variety works
- 1 medium broccoli crown
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of choice
- 2 teaspoons dry oregano see note #1
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- ½ teaspoon dry dill
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Maple Tahini Drizzle
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2-3 teaspoons soy sauce
- water as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Drain and rinse the lentils and chickpeas, then spread out on a large sheet pan. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean dish towel.
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat well. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Continue cooking an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the lentils are crispy.
- Meanwhile, dice the sweet potato into ½-inch cubes. Slice the pepper into ½-inch strips and cut the broccoli into florets.
- Add the sweet potato and vegetables to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, oregano, basil, parsley, dill, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast at 400F for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. It is ready when the sweet potato is tender and the vegetables are browning.
- To make the sauce, whisk together the tahini, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce in a small bowl. Adjust to taste, adding extra soy sauce as needed. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin to a drizzle (depending on the brand of tahini you may not need to add any water.)
- Assemble bowls by topping the sweet potato and veggies with the lentils and chickpeas and a drizzle of maple tahini. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Seasonings: This is a homemade Greek seasoning-inspired blend. Feel free to use 1 tablespoon of Greek seasoning for a similar result.
- A note on timing: I roast the lentils/chickpeas and sweet potato/veg separately because my oven isn't large enough to fit two large sheet pans. If you have a larger oven or a convection oven then you can roast them at the same time and this will cut down on 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Lentils cooked from dry work well here, but the recipe is written for canned lentils for convenience. If cooking dry lentils, I recommend roasting the veg first while the lentils simmer.
- How to cook lentils: To cook a similar amount of lentils from dry, add a heaping half cup of dry lentils to 1 ½ cups water or vegetable broth with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain off excess liquid.
- Makes 3-4 servings. Each portion provides 24g protein if one of 3 servings. Nutrition calculations are an estimation and vary based on ingredients used.
Karen Lucchesi says
My husband was definitely skeptical when he saw lentils and chickpeas on the menu 😂, but this completely won him over! The roasted veggies were delicious, the lentils and chickpeas added great texture, and that maple tahini dressing pulled everything together. By the end, the skeptic was officially a fan! Healthy, filling, full of flavor, and absolutely something we’ll make again.
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Awesome, I love to hear it!! A good sauce/flavor combination can make a world of difference for bean skeptics! 🙂