Make this Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad for a simple, easy lunch using five main ingredients: roasted sweet potato, black beans, lettuce, pickled onions, and Cilantro Lime Sauce. Prep all the components ahead of time so you can throw together a wholesome, tasty meal in 5 minutes!
Tips and Substitutions
Roast the sweet potatoes as cubes, or just stick the sweet potato in the oven whole and cut it up after. The sweet potato will be tender and mushy this way, and not as aesthetically pleasing, but it is a super easy method. If you don’t like sweet potatoes, swap for white or gold potatoes instead.
Black beans can be substituted with another bean or legume like pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, or lentils.
Lettuce can be swapped for another veggie of choice, like bell peppers, tomatoes, kale, cucumber, or roasted zucchini.
Feel free to use raw onions if you like the taste of them. I prefer my quick pickled method to reduce some of the pungency of raw onions.
You can also make this salad with your favorite sauce/dressing instead of the Cilantro Lime Sauce. If using a vinaigrette-style dressing, consider adding some avocado to the salad for a creamy component.
For extra protein, sprinkle on some hemp seeds or a compatible tofu or nut-based cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato cubed
- 1 olive oil
- 2 cups lettuce chopped
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- quick pickled onions (see recipe below)
- cilantro lime sauce (see recipe below)
Quick Pickled Onions
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1.5 tbsp lime juice
- pinch of salt
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 150 g silken tofu
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup cilantro
Instructions
- ROAST the sweet potato: Cut into cubes and toss with olive oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F for 25-30 minutes until tender.
- PREP the pickled onions: Add thinly sliced red onions to a bowl and toss with lime juice and salt. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes. Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for about 3 days.
- MAKE the Cilantro Lime Sauce: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until combined. Adjust taste with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as desired. Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to five days.
- ASSEMBLE salad by adding lettuce, sweet potatoes, and black beans to a mixing bowl. Add as many pickled onions as you like and drizzle some cilantro lime sauce on top. Toss until well combined.
