After my last few posts of cakes, muffins and cookies, I figured I better post a salad. I made this for dinner the other night because I wanted to use up the yams lingering around my vegetable drawer. Truth be told, I was wondering why I had yams when it was nearly June. But then I remembered I’ve been eating asparagus like it’s been going out of style (well, it is a short growing season), hence the lingering yams. So when I spied a can of black beans in my cupboard, this salad idea was born. It’s a potato salad that strays from the norm and it’s a very, very good thing.
It’s a long weekend here in Canada so why not celebrate with a potato salad. It’s perfect picnic, barbeque or friendly gathering eats and this one is especially nice because it’s not the usual mayo-laden stuff. The roasted sweet potatoes give a good sweetness (so much so that I didn’t add any honey or sweetener in the dressing) and I tossed in some frozen corn to roast up as well. I kept the vinaigrette a bit zingy with lots of lime juice and garlic. Cumin, chili powder and chili flakes (plus a splash of hot sauce) add heat, but it won’t burn your face off. I think people get scared with seeing a lot of chili powder in a recipe, but it’s a blend of several different components (usually garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and oregano) so I don’t find it all that spicy. But if you’re a bit heat-shy, add the amount you feel comfortable with.
My husband and I ate this up as a main-dish salad, but it would work perfectly as a side for a summer bbq. It’s so much more delicious than I would have imagined and we both went back for seconds. I’m already wondering if I should throw some more yams into my grocery basket along with the asparagus! Yams may not scream spring & summer, but this salad helps transform into the perfect vegetable for nice warm days.
And don’t forget to add a sprinkle of feta cheese before serving! It compliments this dish so well.
southwest potato salad
If you don’t have Old Bay, leave it out (or add in a touch of paprika & celery salt). But ever since I discovered how great it went with a black bean salad, I like to add it in. Old Bay, it’s not just for seafood!3 yams, diced
1 T vegetable oil
1 T chili powder
1/2 t chili flakes (or cayenne)
1 T ground cumin1 c frozen corn
1/4 c minced red onion
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained1/4 c vegetable oil
juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic, minced
a splash of red wine vinegar (optional)
1/2 t Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t ground cumin
pinch of salt & a good grind of black pepper
a few spashes of hot saucecrumbled feta cheese & cilantro, optional
Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the diced yams with the oil, chili powder, cumin and chili flakes. Dump out evenly onto a prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add corn into the same bowl and toss to gather up any of the remaining spice & oil. Remove yams from oven and toss for even cooking, adding in the corn. Bake for another 15 minutes.
In a large serving bowl, add in the black beans and red onion. Combine the remaining ingredients into a small jar and shake until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Remove the corn and yams from the oven and add into the bean mixture. Pour over dressing and toss the salad well. Serve immediately (though I’m sure it’s delicious cold too). Serves 4 meal-sized portions.
Print This Recipe
Looks delicious and healthy!
Yum! I am not afraid of chili powder and good thinking on the Old Bay. I love that stuff.
I love yams! and this looks so yummy. I might want to try your recipe with Kabocha too.
Salad days are here again; this looks delicious and it has a lot of my favorite flavors. Thanks!
You couldn’t possibly have put more of my favorite things into this salad: Corn + beans + red onion + sweet ‘taters + cumin = my food dreams all come true.
This looks delicious!! I absolutely must try it this weekend!!
I love all forms of potato salad! I grew up being totally devoted to my grandparents mustard & white potato kind, but now I love mixing it up a bit with new variations.
I love sweet potato fries and eat them any time of the year so I don’t think that yams should only be eaten in winter. That being said I really wish I had the ingredients to make this salad for tomorrow. We’re going on a picnic to the Toronto islands and I’m still debating what foods to bring along.
I’ve made something similar, but without the sweet potatoes, sounds delicious!
What a terrific flavor combination – sweet/savory/spicy = yum! Thanks for sharing this.
I’ve done something similar – but with green chiles, and I didn’t think of adding feta. Definitely gonna have to give this a shot.
This kind of potato salad is way more my style than the traditional white potatoes and mayo version. YUCK!
I love sweet potatoes year round and could see myself eating htis all summer!
I like the feta, lime, cumin and cilantro to tame the sweetness.
Roasted yams are one of my favourite salad add-ins — try them in a quinoa salad!
Delicious! I served this on brown rice and added some avocado on top! Thanks so much for this recipe. I find lime makes all kinds of food taste alive! In a good way! 🙂
NicoleD, I love using Old Bay – it’s so versatile 🙂
Hooray for salad days, right Donna? So good!
Meister, glad I could make it a reality for you! It’s super delicious.
Louisa, let me know if you do!
Me too, Gretchen (though I never did grow up with potato salad). Enjoy!
Joanne, a picnic on the island sounds so nice!! Let me know what you end up making!
Jacqui, I’ve made similar bean salads, but this one was a good call with the sweet potato.
Thanks Marissa.
Jessica, the feta is a great addition.
Thanks Joanne, I like this one a whole lot too! And I could definitely eat it up anytime.
Linda, I have: http://poppytalk.blogspot.ca/2012/03/fetching-grain-sweet-potato-and-quinoa.html
Carol, so glad that you enjoyed the salad!
A good thing, indeed. I think my daughter might even eat this! Thanks, Jeanette! xo
Hooray!! I hope she’ll eat this up, achowlife! We loved it a whole lot and can imagine that it’s super kid-friendly (as long as you tone down the spices).
I made this tonight and I loved it. Hard to believe that I prefer this to Mark Bittman’s version (sweet red peppers, cilantro, but otherwise similar). I needed two tablespoons of oil initially to get all of the yams coated, then reduced the oil in the dressing. Aesthetically, I prefer roasted corn, but I guess that’s tricky when you start with icy frozen corn.
Old Bay is an interesting choice for you, I don’t think I’ve seen that in any of your creations, at least not in the last year or two? And speaking of spices, I’m headed to Turkey on business in a few weeks and will be looking for Aleppo pepper in the Istanbul spice market.
Glad to hear that you loved it! And I’m envious of your upcoming trip to Turkey – so much to see and do! Enjoy 🙂
I’m a potato salad super-fan, so I know I’ll love this recipe! thanks!
Delish! I had to cook my sweet potatoes for much longer though (nearly 45 – 60 mins?) – nonetheless, this was a great, healthy break from the festive gluttony! Thank you!
Finally got around to making this salad last night, and it was the best EVER, even without the feta (no dairy diet). Thanks!
I am making this for Easter this year! Hopefully it’s good at room temp or cold… guess I could warm it a little before serving but our Holidays are potluck style.
Sarah, it’s great warm or cold. Enjoy!!
I tried this salad and will try it again with a few adjustments. To me, the sweet potatoes are out of place in this dish. The texture doesn’t fit. Otherwise the flavor was really good. I had this with grilled pork chops seasoned with cumin, coriander, garlic and brown sugar. Very good combo!