I created this Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad many years ago when I was teaching culinary classes.
I originally wrote this post in 2011 when I was creating new recipes for my students to prepare in class. There still is nothing quite as wonderful as hearing from readers (or students) how delicious my recipe is or how easy it is to make. Or how it made everyone come to the table with a smile on their face.
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My winter quarter classes begin next week and I couldn’t be more excited about the menu. I’m proud to say this will be my fourth year teaching cooking classes for our local Co-op market here in Seattle.
PCC is the Puget Consumer and Co-op Natural Market that began in 1953. An amazing story about 15 founding families who wanted to improve the quality and nutrition of available food. Now over 45,000 members strong, PCC continues to support our local farms with the PCC Farmland Trust and educate our community through our IACP Award winning PCC Cooks.
It does my heart good to see the community supporting our local farms and farming communities. I think you know how much I’d love to be a farmer. 🙂 Until then, I savor the opportunity to do my part in food education.
Teaching people to cook is essential to good health. Teaching home chef’s how to make local, seasonal produce, meat, fish and poultry taste delicious is my goal.
This brightly colored Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad couldn’t be more tempting. Beautiful to the eye and bursting with flavor to the tongue. I love versatile and this is one of those versatile salads that can be tweaked to your tastes.
I personally love it loaded with cilantro and green onions. But I have a friend who doesn’t care so much for cilantro. Leaving out the cilantro and replacing it with chive or Italian parsley would be also be fabulous.
Sweet potatoes are divine in this recipe but feel free to substitute with winter squash. Especially if that’s what you have on hand. Pumpkin would also be fabulous as a substitute.
Delicious wishes for a healthy and happy winter!
Loads of Love,
Karista
Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad
Notes
Roasting the sweet potatoes or squash is preferred. I’ve tried it both ways, boiled and roasted. Roasting brings out the sweetness in the sweet potato and squash, and adds a nice subtle “crisp” on the outside.
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 limes, zested and juiced (if the limes are large and juicy, only one may be needed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or 1 teaspoon chili powder)
- 3-4 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 cup corn, I use local organic frozen corn during the winter months (or a little more, especially if you're making this in the summer when fresh sweet corn is readily available)
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Or, if your oven runs cool pre-heat to 425F.
- In a large bowl, toss the cubed sweet potatoes with a little high heat oil, such as sunflower, safflower or coconut and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes, just until crisp tender. Be sure not to overcook. We wouldn’t want mashed sweet potato salad.
- While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the lime juice, zest, salt, pepper, honey, olive oil and chipotle chili powder.
- Add the cooled potatoes, scallions, beans and cilantro. Toss gently.
- You may serve at room temperature or refrigerate.
If that tastes anywhere near as good as it looks, it’s amazing.
We’re doing lots of grains and beans right now, this one would fit right in!
Yay! I love it when that happens. It is delicious, I must admit. But then again, two of my fave foods are sweet potatoes and black beans. 🙂
This salad looks absolutely sensational and I love your photographs. Bookmarking this one as I think my family would love it. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Vanesther! It’s lovely as a side or even used as a taco filling. Enjoy!
OH yes, that does look good, Karista… yummy! 😀
Thanks Frugal! It didn’t last long in my house. 🙂
Karista – which classes are you teaching?!?
Alyssa, teaching at all five locations between January and March. My class is called Prep For Success.
If I were in Seattle, I would sign up for the class! 🙂 The vibrancy of this salad and the flavors — wow!
Aww… Thanks Danny. I could eat my weight in this salad. 🙂
What a colorful dish!
Thank you. And tasty too. 🙂
Great colors.
Thank you. It does look lovely on the dinner table. Didn’t last long in my house. 🙂
Just gorgeous Karista! Two of my favorite things…I always eat black beans with sweet potatoes, avocados and curry spices. This looks SO delicious. I’m a fan!
Oh that sounds wonderful too! I love curry spices and I don’t make it often enough. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I love this salad and as you pointed out, it’s loaded with coriander and green onions, two of my all time favourite things. The dish is gorgeous to behold and I even feel healthier just looking at it 😉
Hahaha! it does appear healthy, but tastes sort of indulgent. I too adore coriander and green onions… two of my favorite things as well. Thanks for stopping by!! 🙂
How wonderful that you are able to teach your passion!
This dish sounds like just the trick to get me out of the festive season over indulging.
Have a super week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
PS. Hey you are half way to being a farmer with your chicks. 😉
Hahaha! I feel like a farmer when I’m mucking out the hen house. 🙂
I do feel blessed Mandy. I love teaching home chef’s how to cook. I started a teen class this winter and I’m so excited about teens getting in the kitchen. They are our next generation of foodies. 🙂
Hearty and flavorful, and you know I love the colors!
It’s lovely sitting on the dinner table. And just as delicious. 🙂 Have a great week!
Thanks, Karista! You too!
Such a colorful salad. I make a corn and black bean salsa but now I’ll be making your salad as a side to some of my dishes. I’m still not receiving email notifications of your posts…is anyone else having this problem?
I love corn and black bean salsa! Especially during the summer when sweet corn is in season. So sorry you’re not getting my post via email! I’m getting yours and others so not sure what could be happening. Definitely contact the wordpress help desk. They are usually really good about returning email questions.
When I first looked at this it reminded me of my black bean mango salad with the similar colors. I love the idea of making a salad with sweet potatoes and black beans…a great winter salad!
Yum! Black bean mango salad! I’m going to have to go look for that on your blog. Have a great week Betsy!
Yes, enchiladas! Now we’re talking!
I love the colors of this salad, Karista – just the right amount of cheer for these dreary Northwest days. I bet it would be yummy in a wrap, too!
Thanks Christie. That’s what I thought as well, or even great for vegetarian enchiladas. Yum!
It is so important to support our local farmers! This dish looks delicious 🙂
Absolutely Tandy! Thanks! It’s as pretty as it is tasty. 🙂
I’ve been making a couple hearty salads to nibble off of through the week. This will be a good one. Hopefully you will see a spinach rice salad with pistachio’s soon from me! (ok – it was adapted from Martha).
Oh yum! Wendy that sounds fabulous. Can’t wait! And even though it is “adapted”, it’s YOUR adaption. Your spin. Which will be awesome!
The co-op has such an important mandate, so it is great to hear the you’ll be a part of such a worth-while organization. Good luck with your course . . . (not that you need luck with your cooking skills). Please let us know how it goes Karista. The colours in that salad are amazing — it is like a fall-coloured rainbow!
Thanks Barb. I do love teaching the classes and now we’ve added teen classes as well. Love it when young people get excited about cooking. 🙂
I am naturally not a big sweet potato person but lately I have not been able to get enough of it. Don’t know if my taste buds are changing or if it’s my body’s natural craving. Your salad looks AMAZING! I added it to dinner menu tonight and hoping the leftover will make a perfect lunch for tomorrow. 🙂
I’m a little addicted myself. 🙂 I didn’t always love sweet potatoes either. I love them more now that I have a “clean” palate. Eating more whole foods, foods less processed or overwhelmed with chemicals, keeps our palate clean. Then we can actually taste all the deliciousness in the real food. Thanks for stopping by!
First Happy 2013! I really like sweet potato and this colorful plate looks fantastic! Your blog looks very nice!
Thank you Katya! So happy you are back. 🙂 Wishing you the happiest 2013!
I wish the same for you and your delicious blog!
your dish looks fantastic, I love the way it’s so colorful and mouth-watering ^^
Thank you! It is a beautiful dish, and tastes just as delicious as it looks. 🙂
This salad looks so wonderful, colorful and hearty, perfect for winter time!
Beautiful! And Just the way we love to eat! I hope to see this on our table next week…and since that’s all up to me, I guess we will! Thanks Karista!
Such a gorgeous recipe Karista! I’ve always wanted to try black beans but haven’t really ventured that far yet… I love pretty much all other legumes so I’m sure I’ll love them! Thanks for the beautiful, healthy recipe. I’ll be following your blog from now on!
Saw this on Instagram, found YOUR recipe and .had to try! It’s a new fave in my house. So pretty and DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing this!!
(For the record, I don’t care if this was posted 2 years ago LOL)
Awww… thanks so much Kara! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Although it was posted a few years back, I still make this salad often. A family favorite. 🙂
Excellent! Made without corn and it was still delicious! Better still the next day! And the next too!
Rating: 5 / 5
Ellen, Thank you so much for your comment. I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the salad, and even without the corn! Sometimes I omit the corn as well. I love that you made this recipe your own. Have a lovely Sunday, Karista