Good morning and apologies in advance, as I’m again one of those loathsome (that if, if you were shivering somewhere) people who just returned from the beach, where we went on vacation last week because our kids were off from school and we didn’t see why they should have all the fun. Around me were turquoise waves, glittering with sunlight, lapping gently at the silky white-sanded shore and there were no children having tantrums or whining because this was a magical place — and at some of those things are true. However, as will always happen on vacation, while we had some enviable tacos and aguachiles, I was only a few days in when I started to fiercely miss home-cooked food, most especially this salad I’d made the week before.
Listen, sometimes I challenge myself to run distances further than I wish to (that would be: any), sometimes I challenge myself to go to bed at a decent hour for a week and see if it makes me a nicer person (shockingly, yes) and sometimes I challenge myself to do things like this, which is to take something I’m pretty sure I don’t like — sweet potato salads — and create one that I would. Creamy dressings and/or any parallels to summer cookout potato salads were rejected. So were cubes. I wanted it warm or room temperature and I liked the idea of using some Southwestern-ish flavors but not to the point that it basically tasted like these sweet potato tacos in salad form. And I wanted crunch, interest, and acidity, without having a bunch of extra hurdles to get them. The results surprised me. I’d expected, at most, to make it once or twice to iron the kinks out of the recipe; I thought the kids might like it, but I hadn’t expected to be sitting by the beach in Mexico kinda wishing someone would bring me some a full week later.
A few more details: I cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch half-moons so they were leafy but not so thin that they’d fall apart. While they roast in the oven, you do a few simple things: drain and rinse a can of black beans, chop some scallions and cilantro, halve a couple limes and an avocado and then we’re going to make a warm but deconstructed dressing. I love using pepitas but they can be a little flat-tasting from the container, whether raw or already toasted. Warming them in olive oil gets them extra-crisp and perfumes the oil with a deeply nutty flavor. Add some chile flakes for heat and then, when the potatoes are ready, we’re going to scatter everything on in layers, building the salad right on that sheet pan, because why dirty another dish? Finish it with salt, pepper, and lime juice and scoop it right onto your plate. I’d intended to add some cotija for a salty kick but was too busy eating it as-is to get it out of the fridge, meaning that it’s also vegan. And while I’d also intended this to be a warm salad, I found the leftovers spectacular from the fridge, no need to reheat them. I hope you love it as much as I did.
Previously
One year ago: Cauliflower and Tomato Masala with Peas
Two years ago: Quick, Essential Stovetop Mac-and-Cheese
Three years ago: Tomato-Glazed Meatloaves with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes and Pomegranate Grapefruit Paloma
Four years ago: Belgian Brownie Cakelets, Broccoli Melts, and White Russian
Five years ago: Perfect Corn Muffins and Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Fried Eggs
Six years ago: Stuck-Pot Rice with Lentils and Yogurt and Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew and Morning Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel
Seven years ago: Blood Orange Margaritas
Eight years ago: Double Coconut Muffins and Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Nine years ago: Green Bean Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Fried Almonds and Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil
Ten years ago: Walnut Jam Cake, Ginger Fried Rice and Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes with Mint Cream
Eleven years ago: Whole Lemon Tart, Alex’s Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage and Toasted Coconut Shortbread
Twelve years ago: Pasta Puttanesca and Pear and Almond Tart
Thirteen years ago: Fusilli with Baked Tomato Sauce and Aloo Gobi.
Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Pepita Dressing
- 2 pounds (about 4 medium) sweet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), raw or roasted
- 1 teaspoon mild (Aleppo-style) or hot red pepper flakes, or less to taste
- 2 limes
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 1 large avocado
- 1 big handful fresh cilantro
- 4 thin scallions
- 1 cup crumbled cotija (optional)
While potatoes roast, combine pepitas with 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet and warm over medium heat. Let pepitas sizzle in oil for 1 to 2 minutes but keep a close eye on them; raw ones may be able to handle more time but already toasted ones will need less to get one shade darker. Remove from heat, season with salt to taste plus red pepper flakes. Set aside until potatoes are ready.
Drain and rinse your black beans. Halve avocado and remove the pit. Leave halves in their skin and cut avocado into thin slices, not cutting through the skin. Roughly chop cilantro, thinly slice scallions (white and green), and halve your limes, cutting one further into wedges. Squeeze one lime wedge over avocado to keep it from browning.
When potatoes are ready, immediately spoon pepitas and oil over potatoes, and squeeze the juice of your limes halves over. Scatter tray with black beans. Use a spoon to remove avocado slices in sections and fan them out over the tray. Sprinkle pan with cilantro and scallions, plus cotija if you’re using it (recipe will, of course, no longer be vegan). Season well with additional salt and pepper.
Scoop sections of potatoes and their toppings onto plates, serve with extra lime wedges, and eat right away. Leftovers keep nicely for a few days in the fridge; I didn’t rewarm them.
I am first to comment? I am all over this recipe–it’s just what I want to eat right now.
Sounds delicious! How well did the avocado hold up in the leftovers. Husband is not much of a sweet potato or avocado fan so I’ll be lucky enough to get the whole pan to myself.
My favorite sweet potato salad is the warm butternut squash and chickpea salad with tahini dressing, from this site, made with sweet potatoes no instead of squash! Sigh…I dream of it. This looks delicious too! Thanks for inspiring my cooking on a regular basis.
yes that is the best! I love it.
The explosion of flavors in my mouth!!! I will make this again and how have I lived 62 years and never discovered pepita’s? I have made just the dressing several more times already to have over lettuce, cucumbers, etc.
This looks delicious! Do you have any recommendations as to what to serve with this? I plan on making it as dinner for myself and my two very hungry male roommates, so I think I’ll need something else to make it a more substantial meal. Any ideas? (We eat everything, meat, dairy whatever) 😁
Maybe some grilled chorizo or a skirt steak?
I serve it with grilled chicken or crispy carnitas meat on the side. I just LOVE the flavors together!
I added ground beef sautéed with cumin salt and pepper. It was great
Made this again in summertime and it’s still so good! Japanese yams were cheaper than sweet potatoes for some reason, so substituted those and they worked great. Also added corn, which was so delicious!! We boiled corn on the cob, sliced the kernels off, and tossed them in. I bet it would work great with grilled corn too.
Our vegans are coming tonight, and this shall be waiting for them!
Yum! My favorite sweet potato salad is actually your warm butternut squash and chickpea salad with tahini dressing, made with sweet potatoes instead of the squash!! I dream of it…sigh… This one looks delicious too. Thanks for inspiring my cooking on a regular basis!!
Well, I’m a sweet potato convert after your sweet potato tacos recipe- heaven! So this will be dinner tonight. Of course the best part is that I already have all of these items on hand….love it when that happens!
You know, if I don’t call this a salad, my husband would eat it!! But I’d still get his avocado. Yum!
In a hardcore carnivore and have protein-heavy dietary needs, so I would probably add chicken, but I’m all over this.
I bet it would be SO good with shredded chicken – or chunks of thigh meat! Dusted with cumin? YUM. (Or even carne asada!)
I still haven’t tried the lasagna and now this…been so uninspired lately because the kids don’t eat. But this is such a good meal I should make it soon. And give the kids bread.
Question about technique: how do you flip all those potato slices? Do you do them individually (but that would take quite some time), do you go in with a spatula and hope they’ll turn the way you want them to, and re-spread? I had that problem recently when I was doing your roasted cauliflower, so I am really curious to know how you do it.
I do it in sections. It’s not perfect but doesn’t matter in the end. I’m like a broken record about this (sorry!) but I swear by flexible fish spatulas and think everyone should have one, especially for sheet pan vegetables.
Thank you for replying – I will look for a spatula like this (I used tongs for the cauliflower which was not ideal). Thanks again!
We made this last night. It was delicious! We will be making this again!
This sounds delicious! Any idea about what you would add instead of black beans? My nephew is allergic to nuts and legumes, but I would love to make this when it’s my turn to host family dinner.
Maybe quinoa?
I would think corn (charred or roasted if possible) would be delightful, or cubes of summer squash that have been cooked in a dry heat method. Something that also has sweetness and some but not too much moisture and a contrasting color to the sweet potatoes.
Just skip the beans. I regularly make a much pared down version of this and it is great as a side (sweet potato, salt, pepper, lime, cilantro) even without the beans, etc.
Anything with sweet potatoes and avocado would be good in my book. Do you think sunflower seeds, shelled, would work in place of the pepitas? Thanks for what looks like another winner!
I used roasted sunflower seeds. But I burned my first pan, so watch carefully! But it was good.
Absolutely.
Recipe looks delicious! Any suggestions for a substitute for the pepitas? Sadly, middle age has brought an intolerance for nuts and seeds to me. I love the crunch factor that the seeds would bring… Croutons?
@bsm595 how about ramen noodles? they seem to be tossed into salads raw, for crunch. I’m referencing the noodles from those inexpensive packs of ramen soup, just broken up.
How about pomegranate instead?
What about crunchy/crispy roasted chickpeas or edamame? I would recommend buying them in the snack aisle to keep it quick & simple, but I think Deb has a recipe for successfully oven roasting and crisping up chickpeas somewhere on this site.
Maybe these crisp lentils from Paul Kahan – posted at Splendid Table.
https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/roasted-and-marinated-roots-with-smoky-yogurt-crisp-lentils-and-dill-vinaigrette
Very yummy! Or maybe just crisp up the black beans before tossing over the potatoes? Like oven roasted garbonzo beans?
One of the best recipes i have tried on your site so far. I used salted pistachios in stead of pepitas and due to an allergy replaced the scallions with baked onion. It was the best, Thanks! Also a strong qualifier for ‘put an egg on it’!
What about those canned fried onions they have around Thanksgiving, or maybe crushed kettle chips?
Crushed up tortilla chips? It would fit the Southwest feel of the dish.
Delicious! Just made this and it might not last until dinner tonight!
Skin on?
Yes, I leave it on.
Disagree with deb on this one, made it both ways and we definitely prefer it skin OFF, no question. Pulling peels out of your teeth/mouth is pretty unappetizing
Another fabulous recipe…you mention adding paper-thin slices of either jalapeno or serrano, would you bake with the spuds or add after cooking, to serve. Thanks!
So freaking delicious and simple! This will be a go to recipe. Yum!
So good!
I put the sweet potato mixture on top of a plate of mixed greens, because I was craving them.
I am looking at these photos with all the longing…. My 4.5 year old gets violently ill after eating sweet potatoes. I miss them so much, and this looks like such a great combo of flavors! Do you think it might work with butternut squash or carrots?
Yes! I would totally use the butternut squash. I often sub it for Deb’s sweet potato/black bean tacos and it’s delicious!
Thanks! I’ll check the other recipe out, too!
Definitely with squash!
Try kabocha or red kuri instead of butternut! Both are so much tastier than butternut!
I have made this with butternut squash and it was fabulous. Highly recommend!
I made this. I used sunflower seeds as I forgot to buy pepitas. My first mistake was letting the sunflower seeds toast too long! Got to watch them closely. The dish is delicious and yummy, my lunch is already packed for tomorrow. My husband prefers the roasted sweet potato and chickpea sheet pan dinner because he likes chickpeas over black beans. Both are winners.
Dear Deb,
“we didn’t see why they should have all the fun”. I do understand – but I would like you to weigh up whether these few days of fun are worth further risking the future of your and everybody’s children in this world with the flights. In any case, a less cavalier approach to this topic in your blog would be desirable. Thank you an all the best.
The flights? What about the oven, the knives, the gas stove?
There are so many larger things to focus on in terms of global warming. Politicians have effectively distracted us from putting pressure on policy and large companies by turning us towards shaming each other for personal decisions that I will not deny do have an effect, but there are bigger fish to fry.
And the Nobel Prize for internet trolling goes to….. Anne!
WTF rofl moron
Anne, you sound like the person that chased the duke and duchess out of England.
Mmmmm….so good! I topped it with Deb’s black bean ragout and pickled red onions. Would also be great with a scoop of quinoa or barley. Easy, healthy and delicious.
So delicious and easy to make (except for the slicing of the potatoes)! Definitely will make again
Thanks for the idea of sweet potatoes with a pepita dressing! I’ve made something very similar, except my pepitas were just roasted, so I’m excited to try the dressing out! If anyone is looking to make it a little more “hearty” of a meal, I would recommend making it with “green rice” where you blend a jalapeno, shallot, spinach, and veggie broth together and make either white or brown rice with that broth.
Haha, this is right in line with one of my favorite easy meals: baked sweet potatoes piled high with all those same toppings, plus leftover shredded pork If I have some. Lots of Cholula hot sauce, too! The flavor profile is addictive.
Hi Deb,
what would you recommend instead of cilantro? I just can‘t eat it… Same with parsley…
Thanks!
Claudia
You can skip it or use another herb you’d like here. Or a leafy green.
Thanks!
Is there a herb or green which goes really well with sweet potato? Rocket maybe? Any other suggestions?
Have you tried arugula? It’s a peppery flavor & holds up well to heat.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I didn’t have pepitas so I used pistachios, which tasted fine to me. Will make this again for sure.
Any ideas on what could sub for avocado? I have some awful reactions to it. But love the rest of the recipe!
Trying to think of a creamy/fatty addition- Is cheese an option for you- like a farmers or the cojita? Else, maybe cashews?
This. Was. Amazing.
Soooooo darn good! I will so be making this again. And I don’t think of this as a salad but a yummy bowl/plate.
This was a perfect weekday lunch! Was skeptical of combining avocados and sweet potatoes but LOVED them! Terrific new salad dressing to add to my repertoire—thank you, Deb. Was starting to be very bored of same same food and this was perfect! I tossed in some farro for a bowl-type meal. Next time I might top with micro greens, like the ABC roasted carrots on this site.
Love all these ingredients and together they really sang. My favorite was the crispy pepitas!
I made this for dinner last night and was seriously blown away with how good it was! My fiance loved it too – he called it sweet potato nachos! I served it with instant pot carnitas (recipe from Bon Appetite), but it easily stands on its own as a full meal. I’m making more tonight!
Delicious! Had green beans that needed to be eaten, so chopped them up and used them instead of black beans. Also, feta, because that’s what I had. Will definitely make again.
Oh, menhhh… I mistaken posted that, wanted to share with a cousin on Facebook. Please ignore the above comment on Joseph Sampson Death.
That preparation makes me feel like a vegetarian, it is very lovely. I am attracted to orange colours too. What a lovely made!
Between the sweet potatoes and the black beans this has too many carbs.
It’s not advertised as low-carb.
Love, love, loved this! Brought to a neighborhood gathering and put the cheese on half to satisfy our vegan. Tons of complements. Great presentation, great flavor! Thank you, Deb! You’re just the best!
Omg. This is absolutely deelish! The flavors are amazing and all blend well together. This will definitely become a staple.
Made this and it was easy and delish! I added about a 1/2 cup of quinoa underneath the rest of the layers (plated on a platter) and it was a perfect addition for a full dinner meal for company…Will definitely be a regular go-to!
Any suggestions for do-ahead prep? If the pepitas were sizzled, then stored in the oil for a day or so, would they lose their magic?
Thinking about using this salad for our taco night at the next family reunion.
The pepitas should keep fine in the oil, although it’s nice to spoon it over warm.
Delicious! As were the leftovers today. I couldn’t find cotija easily, but have ready access to halloumi. I fried small chunks of that in the residual oil in my cast iron skillet after dumping out the pepitas. It would probably also work to roast it in larger chunks on the sheet with the sweet potatoes à la Halloumi roast recipe in Smitten Kitchen Everyday, which we love at our house. Everything in that book, in fact.
This was delicious! I was worried it wouldn’t be hearty enough for a meal, but it absolutely was. The pepitas were delicious – I substituted feta for the cotija, and it was great.
Salad or nachos?
This is not only pretty, it’s delicious! We devoured it for dinner last evening along with a shredded kale/cabbage salad, poppy seed dressing and more fresh lime juice. We have a small amount leftover for a lunch. I am sharing recipe with our 3 adult vegetarian grandchildren who have enjoyed many of your wonderful recipes from me. Thank you.
Very good! I kept the avocado, cheese (I used feta), and seeds (I used toasted sunflower seeds and just sprinkled on as-is) off the tray and instead topped individual bowls; this way I can reheat and re-top leftovers as needed.
so good! my 9yo gobbled hers up in no time. Glad, there are leftovers for today’s office lunch.
I used feta instead of cotija (no idea what this is and it is probably not available in Austria anyway) and it worked beautifully.
thanks for helping to get some vegetables into my family and me!
Super easy to follow and quick. A very delicious meal.
So good! Followed the recipe, just subbed feta cheese for cotija, and made farro to go on the side/mix in so it could be a full dinner. Whole family loved it.
I’ll note that my cooking times for sweet potatoes are always less than Deb’s, for some reason, this recipe included. I’ve learned to check early so they don’t char too much : ) Did 20 minutes on one side, then flipped and did only 5 minutes more.
THIS. IS. FAB. I regularly make and love your recipes (or a version thereof) and was truly smitten with this one. On the regular rotation now. Do NOT skip the lightly toasted pepitas. ❤️
Great and easy recipe! Thank you
This is great. I made it with chickpeas instead of black beans and that was delicious too. The fried pumpkin seeds with the chile flakes is sooo good. Thank you SO MUCH Deb, I’m trying to lower my cholesterol and recipes like this make it so much easier to stick to my healthy eating with joy instead of pain.
Well, it’s about time I comment; I’m pretty sure 95% of the recipes in my regular rotation are from you. I really can’t thank you enough for all the work you put into creating, testing, writing, and publishing recipes.
Despite my love for all your recipes, this one exceeded even my highest expectations. It’s just damn delicious. And easy. And healthy. What more could anyone want?
Yet another delicious combination of sweet potatoes and black beans. This combo is now my default taco filling. I liked the nutty oil and the scallions here. I make another sweet potato/black bean “salad” from epicurious or somewhere that has you roast the red onions, but I like this way much better.
Oh my gosh, this is SOOOOO delicious! I told my family I felt like it was the best thing I’ve ever cooked. I could eat it all day every day.
I made this for lunch today and it was as delicious as it looks!
This was excellent – right up our alley. Swapped in half a pickled red onion (from the chicken milanese recipe) for the spring onions, as I didn’t have the latter, and skipped the cheese.
Had as a side to spicy turkey burgers, and worked really well with those.
Thanks for another great one.
Love love love the flavors. Used parsley because sister objects to cilantro. Still awesome.
I’m very much looking forward to making this. I had a sweet potato salad a few summers ago with tahini, and I tried to replicate it at home. I ended up just blending tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper, tossing it on the mostly still warm sweet potatoes, and it was delicious. And so easy. I bet it would be great with chickpeas and scallions, as a middle eastern take on this recipe. Thanks for another great recipe.
I made this with cubed kabocha squash instead of sweet potatoes because that’s what I had on hand. I also added some cumin along with the pepper flakes (yum) and used feta instead of cotija simply because I had some open. HUGE HIT. One kid rolled his portion up in a tortilla and the other, our vegetable-averse vegetarian (eye roll) even had seconds. Will definitely be making this again and again.
I am dying laughing at your veggie-adverse vegetarian. Thank you for the laugh. I too would be vegetarian if I only could eat potatoes, bread and pasta. Is that a thing? It should be a thing!
We very much enjoyed this! Added some crumbled feta and some pickled red onions that I had leftover in the refrigerator. Really liked the lime juice on top. We would make this again.
OMG!! I made this salad yesterday and absolutely loved it. It’s my new favorite thing. I ate three bowls of it. And best of all — my husband and daughter loved it too. Way to go!!
This is a keeper without a doubt. My only change was to dub in feta due to availability. A repeat has already been requested by my husband. To quote him, “This has to be a Deb recipe, the flavours are fantastic.”
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. More than the sum of its parts!
I made this for dinner last night at it was GOOD. I did put some cojita on there and I agree with Deb, the cheese is unnecessary. It would be just as good without and so that’s what I’ll do next time.
This was amazing, and I think it will be even more amazing when I make it as a CAMPING MEAL!!
Why do I come to Smitten Kitchen – apart from wanting to read all the posts, no matter what the topic? The answer is in the “Let me count the ways” vein, among them: it encourages me to attempt, successfully, things I never dreamed I could make (chocolate babka), it makes me want to eat salad (broccoli slaw, kale pecorino), and it offers dynamite flavor and ingredient combinations that I would never, ever come up with on my own – namely, this salad (which introduced me to black beans, by the way). It made a delicious supper, served over arugula. Beautiful, too. This will become a standby. Thank you.
This was “the best”! I brag about Smittenkitchen all the time. I haven’t tried ANYTHING that I haven’t enjoyed. This one was over the top delicious. If all vegetarian meals were THIS good, I’d never eat meat again. Bravo. I made a recipe of this and gave it as a birthday gift to my vegetarian son to take to work today. I can’t wait to hear the response.
I made this last night, omitting the cilantro (even though I love it – my neighborhood grocery store was out) and adding extra pepitas and lime juice. It was delicious, and I’m happy to have a new addition to my rotation of salads for lunch.
I made this tonight and besides not adding cheese, I was not reading carefully and peeled the sweet potatoes. Still turned out so good. I mean, really, when you only put good stuff in (sweet potatoes, avocado, etc.) how can not not come out with a winner? My husband reminded me that lime and cilantro were made for each other. It was a great meal we had with a side salad. There were only two of us eating, so I only used half the avo and will use the other half tomorrow when we finish this up. Thanks!
This was delicious! And a winner with my picky kids.
This is SO GOOD. Met with rave reviews from the whole family. We did put a runny fried egg on top of each portion…mmmmmmm
Mom of three, including a rather small infant here: What if I did this with frozen cubed sweet potatoes-?!
I’ve never used frozen sweet potatoes before so I’m not sure, sorry.
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I made this exactly as written and we loved it. Just perfect. Will definitely go into regular rotation. A side benefit is the discovery of Aleppo pepper. I almost didn’t go out of my way to find it, but so glad I did. It’s the perfect amount of heat for me.
Was saving this for a dinner gathering and made it up last night. It was a hit!
Followed the recipe except served the cilantro on the side for those who taste soap. I served it with a mixed greens salad and it was great mixed into the greens warm. Of course that will not hold up well if you have any leftover but do not think that is going to be an issue with this salad.
I had no cojita on hand so i used a Chipotle garlic crema drizzed on this and IT IS AMAZING. you have to try it!
Instead of the cheese, try this:
56 grams Mayo
56 grams Sour Cream
3 gram garlic (i used ready chopped from the jar)
14 gram chipotle peppers in adobo (can be replaced with Chipotle pepper powder to taste)
mix together and drizzle generously on top – I am freaking out its amazing.
enjoy!
I made this for lunch today and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I made this for breakfast yesterday, and now I want it for every meal. This is my new favorite food. I followed the recipe exactly, but left off the scallions and cilantro because I didn’t have them. I’ve been eating leftovers straight from the fridge without reheating – this is just as good cold as warm. For the beans I used Rancho Gordo ayacote negro.
Sweet potatoes salad with pepita dressing is a very healthy salad Both sweet potato and pepita are good for health. Both are easy to digest you can take it as early morning snacks sweet potatoes are a great source of fibers, vitamins, and minerals. pepita is high in fiber. pepita is easy to add in your diet as it is easy to digest.you can also add black pepper to a little bit spice it up.
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This was amazingly – sooo delicious! Thanks, Deb!!
Incredibly delicious, even without the cilantro. I used fat free feta cheese and it was perfect. I’m thinking of leaving the beans off for a Thanksgiving dish.
Welp, my grocery store is completely bare of sweet potatoes (actually, all potatoes, onions, toilet paper….etc) thanks to COVID-19 fears. Just a note to let everyone know that this salad works very well with butternut squash instead of potatoes. I first made it with the recommended sweet potatoes, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
This is the best lunch recipe ever! So glad you can eat it cold. It looks beautiful and tastes amazing. I’m not keen on beans so substituted chickpeas instead and used pomegranate seeds rather than citrus- same flavour pretty much but a prettier colour and they were already in my fridge! Definitely a keeper
Dinner for Day 3 of the California stay at home order. Thank you!
Dinner for Day 3 of the California stay at home order. Thank you! We are cooking up all those dried beans!
Amazingly, I have everything in the recipe on hand. Making tonite and serving over a bed of faro (I have three bags of it- long story) Thanks so much for the helping hand during the Covid-19 home hang!
Deb, your recipes never disappoint but this is a new favorite for me. I used lime flavored olive oil to roast the sweet potatoes so cut back on the lime at the end. I had to force myself to stop eating, if is so yummy. Thanks
Planning to make this tomorrow night. We just stocked up on most of the ingredients for staying in…..my son just returned from working in Mexico and promptly announced he wants to go meatless; this should suit him well. I saw a FB meme recently that said we would either come out of this pandemic as better cooks or alcoholics! I am going for the cooking angle and using this site extensively!!!
Delicious!
This is a wonderful recipe and makes a superb meal.. My only changes were feta in place of cotija and a little pickled hot pepper added to the tray when I flipped the slices. I will definitely make this again.
I made this with a few modifications. I didn’t have pumpkin seeds, so I used unsalted Marcona almonds. I also used a shallot instead of the scallions. It was absolutely delicious. Great as both a warm salad and leftovers as a vegetarian option for nachos. Layered on top of tortilla chips with some cheese sauce and a little shredded cheese, then warmed in the oven (350 for 6-8 minutes) and topped with some sour cream. Very versatile dish!
Yummy. After many fails, i am afraid to buy avocados in Alaska, so i only had some greens to toss in. Would make this weekly!
This was delicious—fancied up our Taco Tuesday for sure! I didn’t have black beans on hand so I used pinto beans. Not as pretty in terms of color, but still tasted great! I love your recipes!!
This was so yummy! I’ve saved so many of your recipes and just salivated over the photos instead of making. Finally made one. This is a hit and an easy repeat :)
Thank you Deb, another winner.
We did find it a little salty, probably due to the Cotija, so I’ll just ease up on the potatoes seasoning next time – because there will certainly be a “next time”!
How about calorie breakout?
I don’t include calorie counts because there are too many variables in my recipes (serving sizes, ingredient choices, etc.) but I use this recipe analysis tool when I want to check information.
….sooooo delicious. Tonight’s dinner for me,.did not share with hubby..rest for lunch tomorrow..if it can survive..😀
Deb, we have made this (almost) weekly for months. It’s definitely a favorite for all of us. Thank you so much!
This has become a go to, and I started adding on! With tonights version, my son said this was all he wanted to eat, for the rest of his life – dead serious. I crumbled in feta (no cotija) and a pound of Italian sausage, and threw in half mooned delicata squash with Japanese sweet potato. Timing doesn’t change for the sausage to fully cook, although I bumped up temp to 400. The recipe is so forgiving and fun and comes together fast. Thank you!!
I’m pulling a total commenter thing here and telling you about all my substitutions — because I want to share that this is so riff-able! Wanted to serve with balsamic chicken, so instead of doing a more Mexican-style dish, I used: lemon instead of lime, fresh dill instead of cilantro, white cannelini beans instead of black beans, served over a bed of lemon/olive oil/salt massaged kale, with a sprinkle of goat cheese chunks and lemon zest. Cheers, Deb!
Yes, Yes, Yes! Simple and delicious. I like the way your brain works Deb. Amazing to me that the shape of the potatoes actually makes them taste better in this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Deb! I made this and it’s delicious, but these are yams, not sweet potatoes aren’t they?
Deb!
I’ve made so many of your recipes over the years, but this isn’t first time writing in. This dish is absolutely perfect. A welcome break from meat, and oh, so tasty! Enjoyed with a margarita and couldn’t have been happier.
Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious as a filling lunch that felt comforting and healthy all at the same time. I made it without the cheese but did not feel that it was lacking. My raw pumpkin seeds started to pop right away in the oil, so I will lightly toast them dry before adding the oil next time. I loved the half-moon shape for roasting the potatoes. Thanks for another great recipe!
This salad is revelatory. Something in the combo of sweet potatoes and lime. Thanks Deb for being so brilliant.
Yes. This is a brilliant recipe!
This was delicious and not a recipe I would typically make. My husband and I loved it and I will definitely be making this again soon. Great with feta!
i like this one
I cant stop making this! It is so delicious, easy and versatile. The first time I made it I used almonds as I did not have pepitas. I have since made it with the pepitas and prefer the toasted almonds. Ive made it without the cheese and avocado and it is still delicious. Love it!
I love this recipe for it’s versatility. I’ve made it as written, and it was delicious. And I’ve made it with different vegetable, herbs, beans and it’s also been delicious. Tonight I made it with grilled winter squash (ironic since it’s still summer but it’s what I had on hand) and corn, red onion and kidney beans. It might have been the best version yet!
My husband said “this is impossible to stop eating.” So much for my plan for leftovers. So easy, so good. Also, so cheap! Used goat cheese instead of cojita and parsley instead of cilantro as it was what I had.
I love this salad! It is so so so delicious. I make it exactly as written.
I’ve been craving this for ages and finally made it . I did make a few substitutions and additions and it turned out so fresh and light but also comforting. I didn’t have cojita so I used parmesan. Used red onions instead of scallions and added jalapeños and tomatoes. Delicious!
This salad. So incredibly delicious.
Omigosh! Sooo good. I’ve printed out copies already to hand around with samples.
This is delicious! I love your sweet potato recipes and am happy to say my whole family loved this one too!
Haha! I just made this last night and served it over greens that just came in my CSA box. I adore this salad. I substitute feta for the cotija.
What a perfect Monday-night-the-weather-is-turning-yet-summer-lingers dinner. It’s not even ready yet and I know it’s yummy. Thank you!
I made this with some leftover sweet potatoes today. Absolutely delicious!
Excellent recipe 5/5*
Got lots of mileage from this recipe! Had it as a side the first night, took some t work with spinach salad the next day. Had more that night and the next morning it was great with a Fried egg on it!!
Delicious! I am now obsessed with thinking of ways to use the pepitas/oil/lime dressing.
This recipe is unbelievable – I’ve made it about once a week for weeks now and it’s always gorgeous. The first time I made it I was out of pepitas so subbed pistachios, and liked it so much I kept it that way. Last time we had a bit of chopped sauteed Spanish chorizo, which was really nice.
Fabulous recipe! I didn’t add cheese.
Absolutely delicious! I’ll make it many more times.
This was absolutely delicious, very easy, and different from other recipes in our regular rotation. Thank you!
This was really good and easy to make!
Holy hawt damn is this good. I couldn’t find pepitas on my regular grocery run so I subbed raw almonds, cut them up and toasted them in oil as directed. I used half the amount of suggested red pepper flakes just in case it threw the hubs off who is shy on spice. Used feta instead of cojita. The only sound in the house is our forks, energetically scraping our bowls.
Forgot to add, I thought the amount of spice was right at the borderline for us. Could be the pepper flakes we have. But it was a strong element sitting just underneath being too dominating in the overall dish.
Out of this world. This was phenomenal. Definitely use the cotija – the salty funky taste was a great contrast to the cream sweet notes from the potatoes and beans. Pumpkin seeds cook in a flash – I neatly burned them when I turned my back for a second. This goes into the regular rotation.
This checks all the boxes. Simple, delicious, FILLING. The only substitution I made was I had just ran out of scallions, so I very thinly sliced a small amount of red onion. I cannot wait to try the leftovers with scallions. I left out the cotija since I did not have any. This will definitely be a regular in my rotation!
Made this tonight. Everyone loved it. 100% fabulous, my only addition was to serve over frilly endive as we have A LOT of it at the moment and to swap pepitas for sunflower seeds for same reason. Definite addition to the salad rotation.
I am still making this nearly a year later- it’s so good! I’ve made differences with other batches such as using butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes (loved), used walnuts instead of pepitas (also loved), used pistachios (found them not crunchy enough for leftovers). Today I used the recipe as written and could not be happier with my lunch. This will continue to be in rotation!
I love this recipe ! I make a variation every week for lunches depending on what I have on hand. It’s just as good without beans or cilantro or scallions, but the pepitas and lime juice are a must ! I bring it to work everyday by putting the sweet potatoes and pepitas in a container the night before and cutting the avocado right before eating. The best !
Loved the salad! So easy and delicious even very picky teenager had a plateful !
This is really tasty, even though I left out the cilantro and cotija cheese because we didn’t have any. I can see how substituting feta would give it that extra oomph in flavour. Great mexi dish that’s hearty AND healthy, sometimes a tough combination to achieve. Thanks, Deb.
This salad is awesome and will bridge a regular in our house. Thinking I might grill the sweet potatoes in the summer so I don’t have to turn on the oven.
This is so totally fantastic. You are known by my seven-year-old as the “Sweet Potato and also Chickpea Queen.” She’s not wrong.
I made this with pine nuts instead of pepitas – super delicious!
Made this for a last minute dinner tonight and it was a hit! The avocados at the grocery store were rock hard so I served it with plain Greek yogurt which worked really well.
I love you Deb. I mean it!!! But this recipe did nothing for me. Sorry. Nothing came together. Oh well.
This was incredible! Highly recommend. Did not have pepitas, so just tossed the oil with some lime juice, salt, and the red pepper flakes. Awesome vegan dish.
Made this! It was amazingly good, and as promised, the leftovers were great! So surprising that so few ingredients made such an interesting flavor combination
Did you peel the yams before roasting?
I do not but you can if you wish.
This was tasty and my kids loved it!. I saw it in the newsletter today and it saved Monday night dinner. I didn’t have scallions so I subbed one leek. I added it to the pan when I flipped the sweet potatoes. Great recipe, definitely adding it to the weeknight rotation.
This is is outrageously delicious and super easy to prepare!! Neither my husband nor I are sweet potato fans and this dish converted us. So good!
This was delicious. I passed it on to a friend in Nova Scotia. Their farm grows sweet potatoes, so she’s always looking for good recipes.
Adding to the chorus… This was utterly fantastic. My husband loved it too. We used goat cheese instead of cojita, since that’s what we have on hand. Next time I will add another scallion and be more heavy handed with the lime.
Tomorrow we are having leftovers under fried grilling cheese. (Is it tomorrow yet?)
Brava, Deb! Amazing as usual!
This is as good as any food gets! Definitely now going to be a regular at our house! I thought of sharing it, but one does need something no one you know has had before when friends come over. Any thoughts about a menu?
Audrey, for a dinner with friends, I’d start with Deb’s https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/07/red-pepper-soup/
and assemble the salad in individual bowls layered with some bite-sized chunks of grilled chicken or seared carnitas. For dessert, something like https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/flaky-blood-orange-tart/
or a fruit galette. Let us know what you decide and how it went!
I’m curious, how many of us have taken a Smitten Kitchen recipe (perfect as written) and turned it into something way lazier, but delicious? For example, I am a big fan of this one, but leave it the avocado. I also don’t add the pepitas to the dressing, I add them to each serving. Tonight I sunk to a new, yummy low. I roasted sweet potato slices, put them in a bowl, and topped with plain greek yogurt mixed with a little Tajin, and sprinkled pepitas on top.
I hope lots of people! I love adaptations and think, foremost, that everyone should cook things the way it makes the most sense for them.
My most recent adaptation: grilled the sweet potatoes (just put sheet pan on grill), skipped avocado, skipped cotija, served over chunks of cucumber with mint, peas, and small bites of carrot (last night’s leftover salad). Added cumin to the beans. For me, I need a bunch of something crunchy to anchor this dish. Then it really rings my bell :)
Just made a slice for lunch with cheddar and sour dough and it was amazing! Late summer tomatoes for this are amazing
This recipe is gold! I ate it so much last summer, that I became a bit sick of it. But now we are heading back into summer again and I am excited about it anew! This is a deadset winner!
Absolutely delicious and perfectly warming on a cold day in Chicago! I used cayenne and 5% fat Fage yogurt; I added maybe 1/4 cup of water and I was worried it would be too watery but worked perfectly. I also used plum tomatoes, since that is all I could find in October!
We made basmati rice AND naan and both were perfectly matched with the curry. This one is a keeper!
Truly one of our family faves. In rotation year round. Thanks again Deb!
I love love love this salad so much. I haven’t made it lately but it popped up in your newsletter today and I just need people to know what a great lunch it makes. Treat yourself and eat off it for a few days.
I just made this for dinner and it blew my mind. And I didn’t even put cheese on it! For such a simple list of ingredients, this delivers a hugely satisfying and flavorful (and colorful!) bowlful of goodness. Brilliant Deb! I’ll be craving it now too, on a regular basis!
I know this is an older recipe, but made this for lunch today when 13yo and I were going to be solo for lunch. She loves all the ingredients, so I thought it might be a hit, and I was right. I couldn’t find pepitas at the store so I had to go with pistachios, and I used feta since I didn’t have cotija. Also roasted some red onion instead of the scallions. So good! We both devoured it. She gobbled hers straight while I piled it onto a bed of arugula, jalapeños, and some leftover frozen street corn. My only complaint is that the sweet potatoes took quite a bit longer for me. Next time, I’ll split them into two pans and then combine before adding the beans, etc.
This was a winner with the whole family!
This is so delicious! I roasted the sweet potatoes with about a teaspoon of chipotle in lieu of adding Aleppo chili or red chili flakes. I will definitely be making this again!
SO FREAKING GOOD. I’ve been making this basically every week this year. The leftovers make a great weekday lunch over a bed of greens. Some variations I’ve enjoyed: adding minced habanero to the pepita dressing, adding crisped soy chorizo from Trader Joe’s, topping with vegan cashew queso, a pistachio-mint version, a nachos version, a taco version… YUM.