Southwest Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad With Cilantro Lime Dressing
Firm roasted sweet potato cubes seasoned with cumin and chili powder, tossed with black beans, charred corn, red onion and pepper in a blended bright green cilantro lime dressing. No mayonnaise, served at room temperature.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 lb sweet potatoes peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 15 oz black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed well
- ½ small red onion finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
For the Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 1 cup cilantro packed, leaves and tender stems
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice about 3 limes
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
Blend the Dressing
- Combine the packed cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, garlic, honey, cumin, salt and black pepper in a blender.
- Blend for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth and bright green. Set aside while the sweet potatoes roast.
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the sweet potato cubes dry, then toss with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt until every face is coated.
- Spread the cubes on a sheet pan with space between them. Crowding steams them instead of roasting them. Use two pans if needed.
- Roast 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once at 15 minutes. A fork should meet resistance rather than slide straight through. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes.
Char the Corn and Prep
- Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Add the corn in one layer and leave undisturbed 2 minutes, then shake and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until well spotted with black.
- Toss the diced red onion with a spoonful of the lime juice and let it sit 10 minutes to soften its bite.
Toss and Serve
- In a large bowl, combine the warm roasted sweet potato, charred corn, black beans, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and chopped cilantro.
- Pour over two thirds of the dressing and fold gently so the cubes stay whole. Tossing while the potatoes are warm helps them absorb the dressing.
- Let the salad sit 15 minutes, then stir in the remaining dressing, taste for salt and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Keep the cubes whole: ¾ inch, patted dry, spaced out on the pan at 425 degrees F, flipped once. A fork should meet resistance at 25 minutes.
- Toss while warm: warm cubes absorb the dressing instead of just wearing it.
- Rinse the beans until the water runs clear or the canning liquid turns the green dressing cloudy and gray.
- Blend the dressing, do not whisk it: blending emulsifies it and turns it a real green that coats every cube.
- Stems go in the dressing: tender cilantro stems carry more flavor than the leaves and blend smooth.
- Serve at room temperature: cold flattens lime and thickens olive oil. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead.
- Storage: 4 days refrigerated. Add avocado only to the portion you are eating. Do not freeze.