Sweet Potato Salad

A hint of lime and cilantro frame this Sweet Potato Salad, which is packed with black beans, corn, and vegetables. This delicious and nutritious side will end up in your regular dinner rotation!

At home, I do “meatless Mondays,” which is a great way to incorporate (or sneak) plant protein into our diets. We have a lot of classic vegetarian dishes in our lineup, which incorporate tofu, seitan, mushrooms, and plant-based burgers as meaty substitutes. It’s been enjoyable to get creative with these common plant-based proteins.

The thing is, we’re kind of tired of these “substitutes,” and the idea that plant-based meals need to look and feel like meat-based meals is starting to bother me. My meatless Monday dishes don’t need to look or taste meaty to replace meat! This “need” is far more in my own head than anywhere else. So, I have challenged myself to create more plant-based dishes that center vegetables instead of carving the vegetables into meat shapes.

This sweet potato salad is an excellent place to start my challenge. It’s foolproof, it has a great variety of flavors, and it’s super colorful! Roasted sweet potatoes and onions are the base of the dish, the black beans give the salad the bulk of its protein, and the corn and raw peppers both add a nice complexity of flavor. The mixture gets a zesty treatment from fresh lime juice and cilantro to garnish. You could make a burrito out of this, easy!

Is This Sweet Potato Salad Healthy?

Yep! This hearty vegetable salad is super healthy. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins A, B6, and C, and provide lots of magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Black beans bring protein and more fiber to the plate, and corn lends small amounts of important minerals and vitamins. The lime juice and red bell pepper offer plenty of vitamin C, and garlic is good for heart health. Finally, the olive oil provides a dose of healthy fats. Honestly, there’s nothing unhealthy in this salad.

Overall, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and high in fiber and protein, so it’s suitable for many different diets.

More Ingredients For A Vegetarian Dinner

A pile of veggies and legumes on my plate makes me (and my body) very happy. But inevitably, with a recipe like this, my brain starts scheming on ways to make it even better. Try these additions and swaps for even more flavor and texture!

• Sauté or roast the corn: Roasted corn takes on a smoky flavor that will blend very nicely with the roasted sweet potatoes and onions.
• Add a crumbly cheese: If you don’t mind a little dairy in your meatless Monday meal, a sprinkle of crumbled cotija or feta cheese gives bright pops of salty flavor to every bite!
• Add a touch of raw red onion: I love raw onions on my tacos and burritos. If you’re thinking about stuffing this salad into a burrito or taco shell, add a small amount of diced raw red onion to the mix!

Serving Suggestions

This sweet potato salad is hearty and nutritious enough to be served as a meal. It’s also a great healthy lunch. It works very well as a colorful and interesting side dish, too. Bring it along to a summer BBQ or a potluck event. Since it has all the flavors of the Southwest, I love serving it with these light Seared Tuna Tacos or these Healthy Chicken Quesadillas. You can also use this salad as a topper for a rice bowl. Start with Mexican Rice or Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice and add the sweet potato salad on top. You can top the bowl with a protein, too, if you like. Keep it vegan with Crispy Baked Tofu, or try this easy Sautéed Shrimp or these juicy little Air-Fryer Chicken Bites.

Recipe