This Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Salad is a healthy and filling quinoa salad with cumin-roasted sweet potatoes and quick oil and lime vinaigrette. Perfect as a side dish or a healthy lunch!
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Why You'll Love This Salad
I am currently obsessed with quinoa salads. I have a batch of cooked quinoa in my fridge at all times and use it in meatless tacos, enchiladas, and salads. It's a healthy protein source and combined with beans and vegetables makes for a delicious and filling dish.
This Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Salad is a family favorite right now! It's simple to make and I can store it in individual containers for a healthy lunch throughout the week or as a side dish to grilled chicken. It's wonderful in lettuce cups or tossed with chopped kale too!
Ingredients:
- sweet potatoes - The star of this recipe! I cut the potatoes into chunks, toss them with oil and spices, and roast them.
- quinoa - You can use my recipe for cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot (it takes only 1 minute of cooking time!!) or make it on the stove.
- black beans - You will need one can or 1 and ½ cups of home-cooked beans.
- whole kernel corn - You will need one can. Drain the water and rinse the corn before adding to the salad. Fresh is great too and can be roasted along with the potatoes! I do not like frozen and thawed-out corn in this salad
- onion - I prefer red onion for salads. You can use sweet or yellow, whatever you prefer.
- olive oil - It's a base for the dressing. Use avocado oil, if you prefer.
- lime juice - Freshly squeezed juice is best here.
- spices - cumin, paprika, salt, pepper
- garlic - I prefer fresh, minced garlic. Use garlic powder if you are in a pinch.
- Tajin seasoning - This ingredient is not necessary but definitely recommended. It is made with ground dried chile peppers, dehydrated lime, and sea salt.
How to make roasted sweet potato quinoa salad?
This healthy and filling salad is very easy to make. It's perfect for meal prep lunch or dinners, when you want something filling but healthy. Here is how to make it:
- Start with roasting sweet potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin. They will have a delicious Mexican flair!
- Add one can of rinsed and drained black beans, one can of drained whole kernel corn, chopped red onion, and 2 cups of cooked quinoa.
- The dressing is as simple as the salad! Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, and Tajin seasoning. Pour over salad and toss together.
How to roast sweet potatoes for this salad?
Roasting sweet potatoes for a salad or as a simple side dish to your meal prep dishes is very easy. Simply peel potatoes and cut them into cubes, no bigger than ½". Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Roast at 400 degrees F for 20 to 23 minutes. Use right away or cool and add to your salad. You can also store them in a container with a lid in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The dressing:
I have plenty of salad recipes with creamy dressings, either mayo-based or healthier with sour cream. For this sweet potato salad, I decided to use a simple olive oil vinaigrette that perfectly complements the potatoes, beans, and quinoa. Mix 4 to 5 tablespoons of olive oil with lime juice, salt, cumin, paprika, minced garlic, and tajin seasoning. The last one is optional but I love it in this dressing and even add a little more sprinkled over each serving.
Helpful Tips!
- I love this salad with slightly warm quinoa and warm roasted potatoes but it is absolutely delicious chilled in the fridge and can be divided into serving containers.
- If using fresh corn, add it to roasting potatoes. It will give it an even more delicious flavor.
- If you don't like raw red onion, skip it. Use a sweet one, if you prefer.
- To make the salad ahead, you can keep the dressing separate in a bottle and toss it with all the ingredients before serving.
More salad recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Salad recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
- 15 oz. can whole kernel corn rinsed and drained
- 1 small red onion chopped
for the dressing:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or chili powder
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Tajin seasoning optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel sweet potatoes. Slice into ½" thick disk and cut each into 4 or 6 pieces.1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes
- Drizzle olive oil over potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Toss gently to coat.2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Roast for 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
- In a large salad bowl, combine corn, black beans, chopped red onion, quinoa and potatoes.2 cups cooked quinoa, 15 oz. can black beans, 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, 1 small red onion
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and gently toss.4 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper or chili powder, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon Tajin seasoning
- Serve right away or cover with saran wrap and store in fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Tajin seasoning is optional but worth trying. You can also sprinkle it over each serving. It is a seasoning made with ground chile peppers, salt and dehydrated lime juice.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Rebecca Payne says
When I first made the dressing I thought -- hhmm this tastes a lot like Indian spices. But it grew on me as we sat down to eat the salad; I found myself wanting more and more of it. Probably won't make again though. But I do love the idea of sweet potato, quinoa, corn, black beans combination.
Mary P says
Just made and enjoyed this recipe…Very Good! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for creating and sharing this!
Liz says
Absolutely delicious! Made it for a large group and received a lot of compliments. Would be great to add cilantro or kale for a bit of green!
janet says
What is the green in the pic? Cilantro?
VaShanne says
How much is 1 serving?
Julie says
This was delicious! I made this exactly as directed along with some margarita grilled chicken and my husband and I loved it. I think the tajin definitely makes a difference and is worth purchasing for this recipe.
Elizabeth M. says
Can this be made as meal prep? I’m curious how well the dressing would last in the fridge for a few days, I’d like to make this for my lunches for work.
Sav says
Delicious! I made it with chickpeas since that's all I had on hand. I also used your instant pot recipe for the quinoa which is a game changer with the fast cooking time.
Is the leafy green-looking stuff in the picture parsley or cilantro? It's not mentioned in the recipe anywhere.
Anna says
Yay! That's fantastic! I'm so glad the quinoa recipe worked too! Thank you so much, Sav!
K. Hart says
I have not tried this recipe yet, but I just wanted to say that I really appreciate how you formatted the instructions. Usually I often have to scroll back and forth between the instructions and the ingredients list to remind myself of how much of an ingredient the recipe asked for. Having the ingredients listed right under the relevant instructions is simply ingenious and so very helpful. Thank you!
Anna says
I'm so glad the feature is helpful! Thank you so much!
Kim C says
Delicious ! I think I will add more sweet potato next time, but I love this recipe! It’s going to be my lunches this week… in a tortilla, on a salad and maybe on its own. Lol! Thank you!
Anna says
So many options! Love it! Thank you so much, Kim!
Kandy says
Made it and it was delicious! I added red pepper and avocado as well which gave it a little extra color and creaminess. Great reviews from the family!!
Tara says
Made this for dinner tonight - it was great! I didn't have the 'small' red onion, only a larger one so I used about 3/4 of it and it was too much onion. Other than that-the recipe was perfect. Thank you!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Tara!
Lorraine Swanson-Hoyle says
yes made for a function and people loved it, I added a packet of brown rice and Quinoa mix as thats what i had. and I had a bit of red capsicum so added too we had this with Sweet chilli Chicken tenders and spinach wraps
was delicious.
Anna says
Sounds delicious! Thank you so much, Lorraine!
Kimberly A Floyd says
I rarely comment about recipes I try, but I gotta say that this is OMG delicious! I substituted smoked paprika and chili powder instead of the cumin to bake the sweet potatoes and I also threw the corn (I used frozen) onto the pan for the last ten minutes. Also added 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to.the dressing! I'll be making this often! Thank you!
Lisa A Cooper says
Delicious.
Anna says
Thank you, Lisa!
Lisa Cooper says
This is a wonderful summer dish! Tasty and colorful presentation. I paired it with sockeye salmon drizzled in olive oil and lime juice and my guests raved. Making it the day before took all the stress out of the dinner party. Thank you, Anna!
Anna says
That sounds absolutely delicious and beautiful too! Thank you for giving my recipe a try, Lisa!
Michelle says
this is so delicious, thank you for sharing! the Tajin spice adds just the perfect tang that would otherwise be missing.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Michelle!
Ilka says
Just made this to have for lunches at work this week. Can't wait to enjoy it!
Norma Heitman says
Made this recipe and loved it! Never heard of Tajin before so ordered from Amazon.
Follow a WFPB diet, so cooked the potatoes without the oil and used 1/2 the amount of olive oil in the dressing. It was still delicious! Also I roasted the corn with the potatoes…..yum!
This will be a favorite of ours!
Ashley says
This looks amazing. I see you said serve right away or put into fridge. Does that mean this salad can be served cold as well? Or is it best served warm?
Catherine Rohl says
I made this for dinner. I didn't have tajin seasoning so had to leave it out. I should have used less red onion. Even though it was a small red onion, it was still too much. One thing I did try which seems to work for me is I added a couple Tbsps. of maple syrup to the bowl. It only took a small amount and adds that missing sweetness to it.
Anna says
Thank you for making my recipe, Catherine!
Catherine Rohl says
You're welcome and thank you for the great recipe!
Amanda says
Are these calories per-person?
Anna says
The nutritional value is just an estimate. It is per serving. Please, use a calorie calculator you are familiar with.
Shama Mahmood says
Hello, I loved your recipe! It’s so hard to find food that can taste good and help my IBS. I just wanted to ask, in the picture there is some kind to fresh herb on the salad. Which herb is it? Or could you perhaps suggest a herb that would pair well with the salad?
Anna says
Hi Shama! I always use chopped parsley but cilantro in this salad would work too. I hope this helps!
Mary says
First recipe I have made of yours and it won't be the last. The flavors all worked so well together. The Tajin was perfect in the dressing.
Anna says
I am so glad you enjoyed the salad, Mary! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!
yvonne says
amazing!!! wow will make it again, great recipe!!!
L Renner says
Loved this! I made it as written except for vidalia onion vs, red as that was what I had on hand. Thanks for sharing!
Karen says
I made this as written (with the exception of corn due to diverticulosis) and, oh my, it was delicious. I took my first bite and then added another large spoonful to my bowl! I can imagine that the corn would have been a great addition but I thought the balance of flavors was perfect. This will definitely be a favorite go to. Thank you!
Marylin says
Easy to make, tastes delicious 🤤. Made it exactly to recipe.. thank you 👏👏
Rebecca says
We’ve made this SO MANY TIMES! Everyone loves it!
Anna says
Yay! I am so glad! Thank you so much, Rebecca!
Ella says
This looks tasty! Might have to try this out for the family.
Anna says
I hope you love it, Ella!
Tracy says
I used Kale instead of corn. Very delicious! Keeping to use in the future! And I used Chipotle chili powder in the sauce 😋
Anna says
Thank you for making my recipe, Tracy!
Crystal says
Is this a cold salad? I have seen several comments about heating it up. I wanted to prep it for dinner tomorrow unless it is better to serve the potatoes after you cook them.
Susie says
I LOVE this recipe and meal prep it at least once a month! Could I freeze this salad? It makes a lot.
Becky says
Delicious! We loved it. Looking forward to roasting a red pepper with the sweet potato next time. What is the size of each serving? I'm slightly concerned about the calories. Thanks!
Sue says
Very good. I just make up varieties of this type of salad all of the time. Quinoa adds a great pu much of protein as I do not eat meat.
I followed the recipe & will definitely make it again. I halved the ingredients to make a smaller portion. Fresh squeezed lime is a must for that bite & pop. I added the Tanjin cause I love that stuff. Turned out delicious!!!
Next time I will also add chopped bell peppers for color, crunch & peppers are good for you. May also try a "little" less oil.
Will definitely make again!!!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Sue! I am so glad you enjoyed the salad!
LouAnn says
Actually, Sue, no need for any oil in this, I make it all the time without oil. (Way less fat calories!😉)
Sue says
I made a mistake and used butternut squash instead of the potatoes and roasted one jalapeño with it and I LOVED this salad. Light on the dressing adds a flavor that really blends everything together. This will definitely be a repeat! Thank yo!
Anna says
I am loving your substitution and additions, Sue! I am so glad you enjoyed the salad!
Julie Mathews says
Made this salad tonight because I had four aging sweet potatoes and quinoa in the cupboard and not much else. Followed the recipe exactly except for the tajin and oh my it was delicious. I'm already drooling over my thoughts of leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Jennifer says
Made this for my husband and he loved it!
Anna says
I am so glad! Thank you, Jennifer!
Zoe says
I can't do citrus. Do you recommend replacing the lime with anything non-citrus?
Cynthia Savala says
What's the green garnish in your picture? Cilantro or Parsley? Looking forward to making this soon thanks 😊
Anna says
It's parsley! I am one of those people who can't stand cilantro. haha! I hope you love the salad, Cynthia!
jamie fields says
Amazing.
Added more Tajin over finished product, SO GOOD
This one is now on high rotation.
Marianne says
I made this for dinner tonight. I do WFPB, my husband does not. He ate this with me, warmed it up, and ate almost as much as I did! I added paprika and chili pepper to mine, it was so good!!!
Anna says
I love that! So glad you both enjoyed the salad, Marianne! Thank you for giving my recipe a try!
Sandra says
Looks great! I’m trying to avoid oils, is there anything that can substitute for the olive oil?
T Hain says
Just use a canola, butter etc spray!
Oig says
Canola butter spray is an oil FYI
Ronda says
I cannot do oil either, so I just omitted it entirely and added all spices and lime juice directly in to the quinoa beans corn and onion mix, and it was delicious! Works on a bed of greens as well, it’s actually very versatile with any veggie, (I used frozen organic corn and it was good!) Trader Joe’s has a chili lime spice blend that works great also I think it’s their answer to the Tajin, love having this in my fridge to use whenever I need for a no bottled oil plant based diet❤️ Yum yum
Jennifer says
You could just make sure the sweet potatoes are damp when you toss them in the spices. They will still cook nicely, just not as crisp. I am oil free as well.
Jennifer says
For the dressing I omitted the oil and used tahini instead and it was perfect!
Barbara says
I am making this as one of the sides for Thanksgiving, it looks so amazing! Happy Thanksgiving!
KC Chick says
Thank you for this recipe! It's absolutely delicious, and I will make it again and again. My body doesn't like corn (although my taste buds do), so I omitted it, sadly. To make up for the lack of corn, I garnished my bowl with cilantro and Cotija cheese just before serving. I also had to substitute some red wine vinegar for lime juice, because I unexpectedly ran low on lime juice. I'm on the lookout for Tajin seasoning, but I am currently living in a rural area and haven't found it yet. Thanks again.
Terry says
What do you think about substituting quinoa with couscous? (I tried it w/quinoa and it was good but quinoa makes me burp a lot). Thoughts?
Jeanne says
I Just made this with farro instead of quinoa. So good! 1st time making this recipe, delicious!
Sandra says
This was absolutely delicious!!! I made it exactly according to the recipe and I had two big helpings!!! This is definitely a keeper!!!
Karen says
I love this and have made it so many times in the past few crazy months. I try to cook low sodium whenever possible so I make this with reduced sodium beans, corn, and Tajin(look for the blue cap). I also cook the quinoa in part water & part unsalted chicken stock for a little more flavor. I’ve also had the leftovers for breakfast with a lightly fried egg on top of the salad. Thanks for this recipe—everyone I’ve shared it with loves it!!
Susan says
In your pictures, the salad has a fresh green herb in it but I don’t see any mention of this herb in the recipe or the ingredient list. Is that cilantro? Parsley?
Anna says
It's parsley. Just a pretty garnish!
Paula says
Yummm, Absolutely delicious, healthy and satisfying dish! This keeps me full for hours. Love the tajin seasoning! This is going into my regular rotation for work lunch prep dishes.
Leigh Anne says
Can you use lemon juice instead of lime? I don't have any on hand and this looks delicious!
Anna says
Absolutely! I hope you love the salad, Leigh Anne!
Mandy says
Cooking quinoa in your Instant Pot using the pot in pot method is really convenient. I use a glass Pyrex bowl and then pop its plastic lid on for storage in the fridge. It takes longer but no cleanup which is great if, like me, you cook quinoa at least once a week.
Heather says
Excellent! All of my kids loved it too so I’ll definitely be making this again! I added cubed chicken and halved grape tomatoes, and an extra 1tsp of salt and 1tsp chili powder. This will be a dish we take in the cooler to picnics and the lake!
Rachel Soule says
Loved this recipe except for the red onion. The raw onion flavor was too overpowering and gross. This needed sauteed white onions. I will remake without red onions.
Anna says
Thank you, Rachel! I happen to love red onion but you can skip it or use white one.
Sue says
I am vegetarian & always looking for new, healthy & tasty recipes. This is filling and I absolutely love the line zing! The Tajin seasoning is a must.
Michele says
I love this salad! I don’t use corn, but add chopped up kale instead! My family loves it💕
Anna says
Perfect! Thank you, Michele!
KC says
Hi, can you tell me what a serving size is? I am doing weight watchers but am on the blue plan. I am not sure what a serving size is.
Peg says
Delicious! Is this recipe vegan?
Anna says
Hi Peg! Yes, it is vegan.
Kay says
What’s the best way to rewarm leftovers? Or even the entire salad, should it be made in advance?
Heather Petrin says
Just made this tonight and it's excellent! I feel healthy after which is a plus. Added golden raisins and it was great! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Vanessa says
This will be great on the new ww purple plan.
Anna says
Great!
Bella says
I just made this last night and my husband and daughter LOVED IT!! I’m going to eat left overs today. Can this be warmed or best eaten cold?
Anna says
Hi Bella! I am so glad you and your family loved the salad! I have eaten it warm and it is fantastic! Thank you for trying my recipe!
Maria says
Looks delicious! What is the green ingredient I see in the picture? Parsley? Cilantro?
Anna says
Hi Maria! The green garnish is parsley since I am not a fan of cilantro. You can use whatever you like. It was just for the photo purpose. 😀
Jackie says
Delicious!!!’
Nancy says
How do you figure out how much dry quinoa you need to get the cooked equivalent? Or did you cook the quinoa first, measure out two cups, and save the leftovers for something else?
Anna says
Hi Nancy! One cup of uncooked quinoa will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa. I usually cook a large batch in my Instant Pot and freeze it in portions to use in different dishes. For this salad, I used 2 cups of freshly cooked quinoa. Hope this helps!
Lyne says
One of my 19 year old son’s friend had this at our house last week. He just asked me for the recipe saying he really really liked it. Says it all
Anna says
Wow! That is fantastic, Lyne! Thank you so much!
Sarina says
Delicious!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Sarina!
Deborah Smith says
Delicious, healthy, easy! Thanks for a great recipe.
samantha steven says
Wow! I’m a new vegetarian, and this was my first time trying quinoa. Thanks for such a great recipe. Power salad is right!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! Thanks, Samantha!
Amanda Pruden says
How big is a serving like a cup would be 500 cals?
Liz says
It appears that the nutritional facts are for the entire salad. Create your own serving size and you can figure out the count accordingly.
june says
can i change the black beans to frozen green beans?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yes, you can use any beans you like. I would defrost them before adding to the salad. Hope this helps!
Sandra says
This salad looks amazing! I would love to try it this weekend!
Allyson Zea says
Trying this this week! looks so delicious!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
I hope you love it, Allyson!
Nicole says
My friend just brought this to a bbq. She also added cubes avacado to it. It was amazing. Great recipe.
Abeer says
This is the best thing I have ever seen. Ever!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you!
Jacque Hastert says
I am loving this healthy salad! I can't wait to give it a try!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
I hope you love it, Jacque!
Jen says
This looks like the perfect way to change up my boring lunch routine! Love it!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Jen!
Sabrina says
With a bowl this vibrant, I know it's going to be a winner! Yum!!
carrie says
What a great idea for a healthy salad! Definitely adding this one to my rotation. 🙂
Amanda says
Such a great combo! Every ingredient works perfectly together !!
averie says
This is my kind of salad and I could eat this every single day!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Right? So filling and delicious!