This sweet potato black bean salad is a delicious and nutritious dish that’s perfect for a light lunch or dinner. It’s packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients, and it’s also gluten-free.
Plus, the recipe cooks on one sheet pan for convenience and the flavors are a great mix of sweet, salty, and tangy.
Ingredients and Nutrition
Black beans
Black beans are a versatile and nutritious legume enjoyed in many different dishes throughout the world.
Apart from adding them in this black bean sweet potato salad, try black beans in other dishes like soup, chili, burritos, tacos, dips, and black bean burgers.
Go for canned black beans for convenience.
Beans, part of the legume family along with peas and lentils, are rich in plant protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc, while being low in fat.
They provide a nutritious alternative to animal proteins. Just one cup of cooked black beans contains 15 grams of fiber.
Legumes offer steady energy through slowly digested carbs and can help keep blood sugars steady. Plus, they contain antioxidants that combat cell damage.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes come in different colors, including orange, white, and purple, with the orange sweet potato being the most common type.
Use sweet potatoes in pie or soup recipes. One of my other favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes is mashed with a little butter and a sprinkling of spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, yum!
To save time, I use fresh, pre-chopped orange sweet potatoes. You can find them in the produce section of some grocery stores.
Earthy and sweet in flavor, sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
They’re rich in beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is important for vision, immunity, and skin health. Sweet potatoes also supply a good amount of potassium and fiber.
And they offer vitamin C, an antioxidant nutrient. Vitamin C also plays a role in collagen production, which keeps the blood vessels and skin healthy.
Radishes
Radishes are root vegetables that belong to the Cruciferae family. They contain nutrients like vitamin C and iron as well as antioxidants.
Eat radishes raw, cooked, or pickled.
Chop them into slices and eat them alone as a snack with a dip or add them to salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries.
You can also pickle and ferment them to add a sour and spicy flavor to dishes.
While you can add raw radishes to this black bean and sweet potato salad recipe, I prefer to roast them along with the sweet potatoes. Roasting them tones down their sharp peppery flavor.
Feta cheese
Feta cheese has a salty, tangy flavor that adds a lot of flavors to a dish. It helps to balance out the other flavors. It also adds a bit of creaminess to the salad.
Feta cheese is a good source of calcium. It also provides some B vitamins, a group of vitamins involved in energy production and red blood cell formation.
Cilantro
Cilantro is a fresh herb with a bright, citrusy flavor. It’s a classic herb used in Mexican and Latin American cuisine, but some people have a genetic mutation that makes them taste soap when they eat cilantro.
If you don’t like the taste of cilantro or have the soapy cilantro gene, you can omit it from the recipe or swap it for another herb, like parsley.
Cilantro stems are edible, although some people may find them to have a slightly bitter taste. Just omit them if you don’t like them.
Other ingredients
- Olive oil
- Ground cumin
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh squeezed lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sweet potato and black bean salad variations
Customize this black bean and sweet potato salad recipe to your liking.
For example, you can add or substitute with these ingredients:
- Avocado
- Bell peppers
- Cucumbers
- Corn
- Jalapeno
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Different types of cheese, such as cheddar, goat cheese, or queso fresco
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts
- Seeds such as flax, hemp, and pumpkin
Steps
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes.
Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, cumin, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes out on the baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.
Cut the radishes into 1/4-inch-thick slices while the sweet potatoes are roasting. Place them in a serving bowl and set aside. If you’d like to roast the radishes, drizzle a little olive oil on them and add them to the baking sheet alongside the sweet potatoes at the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
Drain and rinse the canned black beans and place them along with the feta cheese in a serving bowl while the sweet potatoes and radishes roast.
Once the sweet potatoes and radishes are done roasting, remove them from the oven and add them to the serving bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil and freshly squeezed lime juice. Add chopped cilantro to the sweet potato black bean salad and toss all the ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning and flavors if needed.
Serve immediately or chill for later. Enjoy as a stand-alone dish or with rice or quinoa. You can also use the salad as a stuffing for tacos or serve with tortilla chips on the side. Consume leftovers within 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Besides the cilantro, cumin, and red pepper flakes used in the recipe, you can also try these other herbs and spices:
– Garlic powder
– Onion powder
– Smoked paprika
– Chili powder
– Thyme (dried or fresh)
– Parsley (dried or fresh)
When adding herbs and spices to the salad, it’s important to start with a small amount and taste as you go. This will help you to avoid over-seasoning the salad.
Toss the sweet potatoes in the seasonings and olive oil before roasting. If you’re using fresh thyme leaves or fresh parsley, add them to the salad just before serving.
Yes, you can use canned or frozen sweet potatoes in this recipe. Just make sure to drain and rinse the canned sweet potatoes, or cook the frozen ones according to the package instructions before adding them to the salad.
The immediate effects of feeling better after eating sweet potato may be related to its fiber content.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. It helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied after eating, which can help to prevent overeating. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and promote digestive health.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad 9 Ingredients
Equipment
- 1 chopping board
- 1 chef knife
- 1 rimmed baking sheet
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 serving bowl
- 1 serving utensil
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ to 1-inch cubes (use pre-peeled and pre-cut fresh sweet potatoes for convenience)
- 1 14.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 to 5 radishes, cut into ¼-inch slices
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into ¾ to 1-inch cubes.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into ¾ to 1-inch cubes. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with cumin, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.
- Cut the radishes into ¼-inch slices. If eating them raw, place them in a serving bowl.
- For roasted radishes, toss them in a little olive oil and add them to the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Add the drained and rinsed canned black beans and feta cheese to the serving bowl.
- Add the roasted sweet potatoes and radishes from the oven.
- Drizzle the salad with the remaining olive oil and freshly squeezed lime juice. Top with chopped fresh cilantro, then combine all the ingredients.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Enjoy the salad as a stand-alone meal, with grains like rice or quinoa, or add it to tacos or serve with tortilla chips.
Tried this recipe? What variations or adaptations did you make? Share in the comments.
