My mother is chief among the consultants I call when looking for inspiration in the kitchen. She always seems to be cooking exactly what I want to be eating. Most recently, she reminded me of Mark Bittman’s roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and chile dressing, a salad she’s been making since the fall of 2009, when it first appeared in the New York Times—and encouraging me to make for about as long.
The recipe looked simple: roast sweet potatoes and onions, then toss with cooked beans, diced bell pepper, and fresh cilantro. And it was, though the dressing caught me off guard. Made in a food processor with a jalapeño, a clove of garlic, and equal parts lime juice and olive oil, the emulsion tasted incredibly tart, stinging—nearly burning—the back of my throat.
But I soon discovered this degree of sharpness was intentional. With so many sweet elements in the salad—sweet potatoes, onions, and bell pepper—in addition to the rich, creamy beans, the acidity is critical for balance. Moreover, once tossed with the vegetables, the sharpness mellowed.
One bite made me instantly regret having not listened to my mother sooner. This salad is irresistible. It’s fresh, bright, hearty, and nourishing all at once. It’s as satisfying warm—freshly made with steamy, caramelized vegetables—as it is cold from the fridge spooned alongside scrambled eggs or spread atop toast.
There’s nothing tricky about making this salad, but do keep a few things in mind:
Onions and sweet potatoes cook at different rates and, depending on how you cut them, the onions may finish cooking before the sweet potatoes. To prevent having burnt onions and mushy sweet potatoes, you can either roast the vegetables on separate sheet pans or use a single sheet pan (fewer dishes!), keeping the vegetables separate.
If you cook a pound of beans, you’ll have enough on hand to make this recipe three times. I promise you won’t be sorry to have a vat of cooked beans on hand—this salad disappears quickly. Canned beans, I am told, work just as well.
This salad is satisfying enough on its own, but, to make it into a meal, you could blister some small tortillas, broil them with cheese, then spoon this spicy, creamy salad inside. Sprinkle the tacos with more cilantro, raw diced onion, and a squeeze of lime.
| 1.5 | pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, about 4 heaping cups |
| 1 | large red onion, diced to yield about 2 cups |
| 1/2 | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| Kosher salt and pepper to taste | |
| 1 | hot chile, seeded if you are sensitive to heat |
| 2 | limes, juiced to yield about 6 tablespoons |
| 2 | cups cooked black (or other) beans |
| 1 | bell pepper (any color), seeded and diced, about 1.25 cups |
| 1 | cup (heaping) chopped fresh cilantro |
| 1 | clove garlic |
| 1.5 | pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, about 4 heaping cups |
| 1 | large red onion, diced to yield about 2 cups |
| 1/2 | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| Kosher salt and pepper to taste | |
| 1 | hot chile, seeded if you are sensitive to heat |
| 2 | limes, juiced to yield about 6 tablespoons |
| 2 | cups cooked black (or other) beans |
| 1 | bell pepper (any color), seeded and diced, about 1.25 cups |
| 1 | cup (heaping) chopped fresh cilantro |
| 1 | clove garlic |
Alexandra Stafford is a writer, photographer, and occasional stationery designer based in upstate New York, where she is writing a cookbook. You can read more of her work on her blog.
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