Ingredients
Salad
- 1 ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium avocado, chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper to ensure easy roasting and cleanup.
- Season Sweet Potatoes: Place the sweet potato cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add paprika, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Toss thoroughly so each piece is evenly coated with the seasoning.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes evenly on the prepared baking tray. Roast in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until they are tender and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Make Dressing: While the sweet potatoes cool, prepare the dressing by combining olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir well and set aside.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, black beans, chopped avocado, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and fresh cilantro.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad mixture. Gently toss everything together to combine, being careful not to mash the avocado.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately with extra dressing on the side, or refrigerate for later enjoyment.
Notes
- Do not mix the dressing into the salad until you are ready to serve to keep ingredients fresh and flavors distinct.
- Prepare all ingredients in advance, including chopping sweet potatoes and cooking quinoa, to streamline the salad assembly.
- When cooking quinoa, avoid overcooking; it should be tender but retain a slight bite.
- Customize the dressing’s sweetness or acidity by adjusting maple syrup or lime juice to your taste preference.
- Mix the salad gently to prevent the avocado from becoming mushy and to maintain the texture of all ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
