Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet potatoes go really well with citrus and tropical flavors. This shouldn't be surprising since they originate in central and south America.

This salad, which I adapted from Sensational Salads by Barbara Scott Goodman, tastes bright and looks colorful.

The roasted sweet potatoes have a similar texture to the cooked black beans. The red onion gives crunch and bite. And the citrus dressing gives a fruity tang.

Even Larry, who tries to discourage my sweet potato experiments, enjoyed this salad in his lunch box.

Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
2 cups dried black beans
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lbs
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 red onion, diced

Dressing:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice (from one juicy orange)
2 tbsp lime juice (one juicy lime)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
pepper

Cover beans by about 2 inches with cold water. Soak overnight or 6-8 hours. (If you don't have time to soak them, they will take longer to cook.)

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them lengthwise into 3 or 4 pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthwise and then across in 1/2 inch pieces. Toss them in olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside to cool.

Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with 6 cups of water. Chop the onion, carrot and celery in large chunks and add to the pot. They are just there to flavor the cooking water, and will be discarded once the beans are cooked. Bring to a boil and simmer 45-50 minutes until the beans are tender but not mushy. Drain the beans and discard the onion, carrot and celery.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange and lime juice, cumin and chili powder. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the warm beans. Let stand at room temperature until cool, then add the sweet potatoes and red onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and extra lime juice if more tang is needed.

This salad stores well and travels well. Makes 8-10 servings.