Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Beans

These creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Beans gives a ton of warm comfort while delivering on flavor. Topped with smoky roasted sweet potatoes and a lemony cream sauce.

Bowl of tomato beans topped with roasted sweet potatoes, cream sauce and fresh parsley.

It’s cold and I’m always looking for comfort. These chickpeas give me all the comfort and warmth I’m looking for this time of year. So if you are in need of the same level of comfort and indulgence, grab your favorite crusty bread and get ready to dunk it straight into the beans.

Why You’ll Love These Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Beans

  • Comfort on a budget. This bowl of beans feels like a hug in a bowl, and that feeling of indulgence it provides is achieved using budget friendly ingredients like chickpeas and sweet potato.
  • Easy to make. Even though there are three elements to this dish, all three are relatively easy to make. The sweet potatoes get spiced and roasted in the oven, the chickpea base is cooked all in one pan, and the sauce gets whisked together in one bowl. Each step helps to easily layer flavor so that you can have dinner on the table as quick as possible.
  • Easy to customize. Adjust the spices and even the level of creaminess to your desired preference. Have a nut or sesame allergy? I share some tips for customizing this recipe to your needs.
Bell pepper, bowl of chickpeas, shallots, garlic, sweet potato, and cherry tomatoes on a cutting board.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas for convenience, but feel free to use freshly cooked chickpeas. Not a fan of chickpeas? Try this with white beans or butter beans instead.
  • Sweet Potato: This is used for our topping, but you can swap with butternut squash or any other squash you prefer. Some varieties to try include butternut squash, acorn squash or delicata squash.
  • Cornstarch: You can swap for potato starch or arrowroot starch.
  • Spices: I used a combination smoked paprika, coriander, and thyme. Feel free to adjust the spices to fit your preference.
  • Bell Pepper: Any colored bell pepper will work here. If not a fan of bell pepper, feel free to omit.
  • Cherry Tomatoes: If cherry tomatoes are not available, you can also replace with some diced plum tomatoes.
  • Sun-dried Tomatoes: I like to use julienned sun-dried tomatoes. This just saves a step for slicing them yourself. However, feel free to use regular sun-dried tomato halves and julienne them yourself.
  • Vegetable Broth: Using a good quality vegetable broth will help add good flavor to the beans.
  • Tahini: Aim for the best quality tahini you can find. Tahini should be very smooth in creamy in texture and not have a strong bitter flavor. If you are allergic to tahini, feel free to swap with some more yogurt or
  • Lemon: Fresh is best, so you can take advantage of the juice and zest.
  • Yogurt: I used an unsweetened plant-based soy yogurt for some thickness and a bit of tang. Feel free to use your own favorite dairy-free option in your sauce.

How to Make Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Beans

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with the cornstarch, paprika, coriander, onion powder and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat then spread out in a single even layer on the tray, giving some space between the potatoes to roast. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, tossing half way.

While the potatoes bake, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium low heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots along with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and continue to sauté until the pepper has softened and the shallots are translucent.

Add the garlic then continue to sauté until fragrant. Stir in the seasonings, cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes then continue to stir occasionally until the cherry tomatoes start to cook down and blister, about 6-8 minutes.

Once the tomatoes have softened and burst, pour in the nutritional yeast and vegetable broth. Use an immersion blender to blend the base to your desired level of creaminess (or add some of the contents of the stew base to a blender cup and blend).

Stir in the chickpeas then bring everything to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup and a generous pinch of salt. Stir well until the sauce starts to thicken then stir in 2 tbsp of water to thin it out. If still too thick, feel free to stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Once the chickpeas are done simmering, stir in 2 tablespoons of the cream sauce into the chickpeas.

To serve, portion your chickpeas between bowls then top with a handful of the roasted sweet potato chunks. Drizzle with the cream sauce and garnish with fresh parsley as desired and serve with bread.

Expert Tips

  • Spread the potatoes out on the pan in a single layer. This includes making sure the potatoes are placed cut side down and spread out enough that the potatoes have space between each other. This will ensure an even sear that will give you a nice crust around the potato as it bakes.
  • Adjust the broth based on your preference. I used 2 cups of broth, but you can add more if you want the chickpeas to be more of a thin brothy consistency.
  • Use a different vegetable topping. Feel free to change up what you top your chickpeas with. So if you are not a fan of sweet potatoes, try making this with some other roasted vegetables like carrots, squash, cauliflower or even broccoli.
  • Blend the broth base to your liking. For very smooth and creamy, blend all of it until smooth. If you want it a little chunky, blend half and leave some of the tomato chunks behind for texture.
  • Instead of the lemon tahini yogurt sauce, you can opt for some vegan cream or a homemade cashew cream to drizzle over top. For the cashew cream, soak 1/2 cup of raw cashews (or sunflower seeds). Drain then add the cashews to a blender cup with 1/2 cup water and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Blend until smooth then use it to drizzle over your chickpeas.
Close up of a bowl of tomato beans topped with roasted potatoes, tahini cream sauce and parsley.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this be made ahead of time?

Yes! Once the beans are prepared and cooled, place in an airtight container and store the beans in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, heat up in a saucepan or in the microwave until warmed through. You can prep the sweet potatoes and store in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but do note that the sweet potatoes will soften and benefit a lot from being reheated in the oven before enjoying again.

How do I reheat the potatoes?

Whether you are reheating the sweet potatoes or one of the recommended substitutes, you can reheat them in the air fryer, a toaster oven or a regular oven. Just spread them out in an even layer before baking for 5 minutes at 350F to heat them through and crisp the exterior up slightly.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes. The sweet potatoes and soup base are all gluten-free as written. Just serve the chickpeas and potatoes with a gluten-free bread or along with gluten-free grains like quinoa, rice or gluten-free pasta.

Side view of chickpeas simmered in tomato cream sauce and topped with tahini cream, roasted potatoes and minced parsley.

How to Serve

Serve the beans topped with the baked sweet potato, drizzle of the tahini yogurt sauce and fresh herbs. This is also great served topped with some pickled onions. You can enjoy the beans as is or serve with some crusty bread.

More Easy Bean Recipes

Bowl of tomato chickpeas topped with crispy sweet potatoes, tahini cream sauce and fresh parsley.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

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Bowl of tomato beans topped with roasted sweet potatoes, cream sauce and fresh parsley.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Beans

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Beans gives a ton of warm comfort while delivering on flavor. Topped with smoky roasted sweet potatoes and a lemony cream sauce. 


Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil

Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpeas

  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, grated or crushed with a garlic press
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp dry thyme
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, julienned
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2, 15 oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Lemon Tahini Sauce

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp plain unsweetened plant-based yogurt
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • Kosher salt

To serve: fresh minced parsley and whole grain crusty bread


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with the cornstarch, paprika, coriander, onion powder and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat then spread out in a single even layer on the tray, giving some space between the potatoes to roast. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, tossing half way.
  2. While the potatoes bake, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium low heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots along with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and continue to sauté until the pepper has softened and the shallots are translucent.
  3. Add the garlic then continue to sauté until fragrant. Stir in the seasonings, cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes then continue to stir occasionally until the cherry tomatoes start to cook down and blister, about 6-8 minutes.
  4. Once the tomatoes have softened and burst, pour in the nutritional yeast and vegetable broth. Use an immersion blender to blend the base to your desired level of creaminess (or add some of the contents of the stew base to a blender cup and blend).
  5. Stir in the chickpeas then bring everything to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup and a generous pinch of salt. Stir well until the sauce starts to thicken then stir in 2 tbsp of water to thin it out. If still too thick, feel free to stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Once the chickpeas are done simmering, stir in 2 tablespoons of the cream sauce into the chickpeas.
  7. To serve, portion your chickpeas between bowls then top with a handful of the roasted sweet potato chunks. Drizzle with more of the cream sauce and garnish with fresh parsley as desired and serve with bread.

Notes

Spread the potatoes out on the pan in a single layer. This includes making sure the potatoes are placed cut side down and spread out enough that the potatoes have space between each other. This will ensure an even sear that will give you a nice crust around the potato as it bakes.

Adjust the broth based on your preference. I used 2 cups of broth, but you can add more if you want the chickpeas to be more of a thin brothy consistency.

Use a different vegetable topping. Feel free to change up what you top your chickpeas with. So if you are not a fan of sweet potatoes, try making this with some other roasted vegetables like carrots, squash, cauliflower or even broccoli.

Blend the broth base to your liking. For very smooth and creamy, blend all of it until smooth. If you want it a little chunky, blend half and leave some of the tomato chunks behind for texture.

Instead of the lemon tahini yogurt sauce, you can opt for some vegan cream or a homemade cashew cream to drizzle over top. For the cashew cream, soak 1/2 cup of raw cashews (or sunflower seeds). Drain then add the cashews to a blender cup with 1/2 cup water and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Blend until smooth then use it to drizzle over your chickpeas. 

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!

6 Comments

  1. I made this tonight and it was superbly delicious! It’s the perfect combination of umami flavors and a bright pop from the yogurt sauce and parsley. Thank you Catherine for this recipe! 😊






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