Southwestern Sweet Potato Salad

Bright, colorful, and packed with bold Southwestern flavor, this hearty sweet potato salad combines caramelized roasted sweet potatoes with black beans, sweet corn, crisp bell peppers, and toasted pepitas. Everything is tossed in a zesty lime-cumin dressing with a hint of smoked paprika, creating the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and tangy. Delicious served chilled or at room temperature, it's an ideal side dish for barbecues, potlucks, picnics, or as a satisfying vegetarian meal.

Servings: 10

Ingredients

Salad

4 lbs Sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
2 tbsp olive oil (coconut is fine also)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen and thawed or grilled)
15 oz black beans (that's one can of black beans y'all 😉)
1 red bell pepper
4 green onions (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/2 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds y'all 😉)

Lime-Cumin Dressing

1/3 cup lime juice (Fresh squeezed - don't even use that pre-packaged bottled juice 😡)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

Preparation

1
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on sheet pans in a single layer.
- Roast 25–30 minutes, stirring once, until tender and lightly caramelized. Cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine roasted sweet potatoes, corn, black beans, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and pepitas.
- Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to develop