Sweet potatoes, black beans, and avocado make a power-packed salad for any season! Drizzled with a honey lime vinaigrette for a little tartness, this sweet potato salad will make your taste buds dance!

It’s the end of February.  2017 is almost over!!!  Just kidding but it certainly feels like the time is flying by.  We just had Christmas and now we are getting ready for St. Patricks Day.  

Have you run out of healthy meals to make so you can keep your New Year’s Resolution?  Bathing suit season is right around the corner!  Not that I am worried because, after the last two months, I feel like I have given up on all my self-care.

The combination of sweet potato, black beans, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and juicy pomegranate seeds makes a wonderful side dish recipe for potlucks or even dinner. It would make a great vegetarian lunch too!

I haven’t been the gym for 3 weeks and with a kitchen that was in the process of being renovated, I haven’t been eating that healthy either.  I think a few cocktails snuck in there too…

The combination of sweet potatoes, black beans, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and juicy pomegranate seeds makes a wonderful side dish recipe for potlucks or even dinner. It would make a great vegetarian lunch too!

Now that the kitchen is done (yes, I will post pictures next week in a post) I need to get back into eating better.  And I get to start using my new kitchen!!  It turned out so great that I just might move my bed in there.

If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.

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Being a food blogger doesn’t always mean that you know what to make for any given meal.  I often find myself looking at other blogger’s Instagram feeds for inspiration.  

I can come up with ideas all day long in my head but something that someone else makes always seems better.  While looking at my friend Michelle’s blog the other day I stumbled across this salad that I made as part of her creative team.

It also happened to be something I was in the mood for.  A sweet potato convert like me goes crazy for a salad like this.  I thought I might share it with my readers too as you might not have had the chance to see it.  

The combination of sweet potatoes, black beans, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and juicy pomegranate seeds makes a wonderful side dish recipe for potlucks or even dinner. It would make a great vegetarian lunch too!

I still like my sweet potatoes with a little spice and not filled with cinnamon honey butter.  A quick sprinkle of cayenne pepper is what I like to dress mine in.  To get the sweet potatoes that perfect potato salad texture, I roasted them in the oven.  No boiling here!

*tip* If you cover your pan in foil when you roast the sweet potatoes you might not have to wash any dishes 🙂  I threw a poblano pepper and some red onion on the tray too so when it roasts it will pick up some of those flavors.  This technique gives the salad more depth.

Once the sweet potatoes are roasted, I let them cool and then toss in some extra love.  Love in the form of avocado and black beans.  Not only does it add love, but protein and richness.  

To top off the sweet potato salad, some texture.  Crunchy, toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and tart pomegranate seeds are great compliments to the other ingredients.

Look at all those goodies in there!

Now let’s have a talk about mayonnaise.  I know that it has its place in the culinary world.  On a BLT, a fried egg sandwich, in tuna salad, and the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich to name a few, but it has no place in this salad.  

Please don’t throw out there the whole “potato salad has mayo” nonsense.  This is an elevated potato salad and doesn’t need any help from the mayo to make it complete.

This salad is complete in my mind but if you need something to “dress” it with, let’s head in a Southwest direction.  A honey lime vinaigrette with some cumin and cilantro will do the trick.  

Fresh lime juice is the way to go with the vinaigrette so please use it if you have it.  You can always toss the squeezed lime wedges in your cocktail that you are enjoying at the party.  Or at lunch 🙂

Now we have a sweet potato salad worthy of a main dish.  Think of how great this would be with some grilled shrimp, some cheese, or chicken!!!!

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The combination of sweet potatoes, black beans, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and juicy pomegranate seeds makes a wonderful side dish recipe for potlucks or even dinner on the grill. 

It would make a great vegetarian lunch too!  This Southwest Sweet Potato Salad can be made a few days ahead of time, just keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.

This post first appeared on A Dish of Daily Life