This is one of my most favorite flavor combinations, hearty black beans with the sweet and tender roasted sweet potato. We use them on everything, Saturday morning sweet potato black bean burritos have become very popular with the family over the past few months. During the Winter, we make a wonderful chili with them. But now, the weather is getting warmer, our clothes are getting more revealing and we need to keep the flavor while losing the extra calories (well, at least I do).
So as this months Lazy Susan was fresh salads with a homemade dressing, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. It’s honestly everything I expected and more. The gorgeous colors, the sweet, earthy, and tangy taste really are worth the ever so slightly greater effort to take your salad from eh to EH-mazing. *sometimes I just crack myself up*
Ingredients:
salad-
2 medium sweet potatoes- peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint grape or cherry tomaotes- halved
8 cups butter lettuce – or other mild green
dressing-
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup packed fresh cillantro
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 clove garlic
4 tablespoons light agave
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon salt
gresh ground pepper – to taste
Method:
spread prepared potatoes onto a cookie sheet in single layer, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and peppet. bake for 10 minutes, toss, and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until tender and lightly golden. set aside and allow to cool. combine tomatoes, balck beans and potoato in a large bowl, drizzle 1/4- 1/2 cup of the dressing over top and stir to combine. divide greens onto 4 plates, top evenly with black bean – potato mixture, add adiitional dressing to taste. serve immediately and garnish with additional cillantro and lime as desired.
dressing:
place fresh lime juice, garlic, cilantro and agave into a food processor or blender and mix well. gradually add the olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste.
Don’t forget, this is a group effort and next up is Gretchen Davis with a salad of arugula, pear, candied walnuts and bleu cheese.
Keep on clicking for a full month of June salads.
