Okay, I’ll admit I just made this salad as a vehicle for the lime crema. It’s all about the crema. This stuff is seriously life changing and I haven’t been able to stop making it since my first batch. So, I just threw together a bunch of my other favorite ingredients, all of which happened to make a beautiful natural rainbow of colors, and ended up with this Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad (…with lime crema).
Meal Prep Ready!
This salad is great for meal prepping for the week. Just mix together the salad ingredients, but add the dressing each day as needed. You can top it with some grilled or rotisserie chicken, maybe roll it all together inside a tortilla, and you’re good to go! Another fun add-in that I thought about (but opted out of in favor of keeping things simple) is crushed up tortilla chips or tortilla strips. I think that crunch would be a really fun addition. And of course you could always add a bit of avocado or sliced jalapeños if that’s your jam.
Use Roasted Frozen Corn for Even More Flavor
Oh, also, if you have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s in your area, you can make this salad even easier. They both sell frozen roasted corn, which you can use instead of my skillet charred corn. I went the budget route and made my own this time, but the pre-roasted frozen corn is seriously awesome (I think it’s usually cheaper at TJ’s than WF).
How to Store Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad
The “rainbow” ingredients of this salad should store well, even once stirred together, but I suggest leaving the crema off until just before serving.
Goes great with: Baked Beef & Black Bean Tacos, Chipotle Portobello Oven Fajitas, Cilantro Lime Drumsticks, Weeknight Enchiladas.
Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad with Lime Crema
Servings 6 1.33 cups eachIngredients
LIME CREMA
- 8 oz. sour cream ($1.00)
- 1 fresh lime ($0.50)
- 1 small clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
- 1.5 lb. sweet potatoes ($1.57)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- Salt to taste ($0.02)
BLACKENED CORN
- 1 lb. frozen corn kernels, thawed ($1.49)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- Salt to taste ($0.02)
SALAD
- 1 15oz. can black beans ( $0.99)
- 1 red bell pepper ($1.50)
- 1/4 red onion* ($0.25)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.23)
Instructions
- If you haven’t yet, take the corn out of the freezer and allow it to begin thawing. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into a small dice (1/4-1/2 inch cubes). Place the cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with cooking oil, cumin, and a pinch or two of salt. Toss the sweet potato cubes until they are all coated in oil and spices. Roast the sweet potatoes for about 30 minutes, or until they are soft and slightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the lime crema. Use a small-holed cheese grater or a zester to remove the thin layer of green zest from the lime. Add about 1 tsp of the zest and 1 Tbsp of the lime juice to the sour cream, along with the minced clove of garlic and 1/4 tsp of salt. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the lime juice as desired. Refrigerate the crema until ready to use.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the thawed corn and let cook until the corn is blistered and charred on the edges. Avoid stirring too often to allow it to blacken a bit. Let the corn cool slightly.
- Finely dice the red bell pepper and red onion. Rinse and drain the black beans. Pull the cilantro leaves from their stems and then roughly chop.
- Combine the roasted sweet potatoes, blackened corn, black beans, red bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro in a large dish. Stir to combine. Add some of the lime crema and toss until the salad is lightly coated. Add a little more lime crema on top just before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Rainbow Sweet Potato Salad – Step by Step Photos
If you haven’t already, take one pound of frozen corn kernels out of the freezer to thaw. If you are planning on charring them in a skillet like I did, they need to be completely thawed. Also, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Peel and dice about 1.5 lbs. sweet potatoes (that was two small sweet potatoes for me, or one really large one). Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp of cooking oil. Sprinkle 1 tsp cumin on top and a pinch or two of salt. Toss until all the sweet potatoes are coating in oil and spices.
Roast the sweet potatoes in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until they are soft and slightly brown on the edges. Total cooking time will depend on how small you cut them, so be mindful. Let them cool slightly.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the lime crema. Zest one fresh lime (I use a small-holed cheese grater). Add about 1 tsp of the zest and 1 Tbsp of the lime juice to an 8oz. tub of sour cream. Also add one small clove of garlic (minced) and about 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust the lime juice as you see fit. Refrigerate the crema until ready to use.
If you’re not using frozen corn that came pre-roasted, heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the thawed corn kernels and let them cook until browned and blistered on the edges. Avoid stirring too often as this won’t allow the corn time to blacken. Season with a pinch or two of salt and let the corn cool slightly.
Drain and rinse a 15oz. can of black beans. Finely dice one red bell pepper and 1/4 of a red onion. Pull the leaves from 1/4 bunch of cilantro, and give them a rough chop. Combine the roasted sweet potatoes, charred corn, black beans, red bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro in a large bowl or dish.
Stir the salad ingredients to combine. If you’re meal prepping this salad, refrigerate it just like this without the dressing. If you’re going to serve it, add some of the crema, then stir until there is a light coating over the whole salad. Add more crema to the top of each serving. That pop of tart lime is more noticeable when you have some drizzled on top in addition to the light coating.
And that’s it! This Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad is SUPER FRESH. 💯
Loved it! Had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner today it was so good.
We made a double batch over the weekend. It’s been used ‘as is’ and as a topping for nachos. Today I”m trying to figure out a way to use the rest for chicken tortilla soup! The lime crema is no joke, fantastic!
What is the best temp to serve this salad? Warm, room temp, or cold?
It’s actually great both ways! I ate it luke-warm the first day, then chilled for the leftovers.
Love the combination of the sweet potatoes, cumin, and lime crema. I substituted roasted poblanos for the red bell pepper. It was fabulous!!! Thanks for another winner Beth!
This is just the type of recipe I am looking for but really dislike cumin as a main flavour. Is there another spice that I could use instead?
You could use a mild chili powder instead.
I’m generally not a fan of salads but this one is really filling and SO tasty. I love all the vegetables in it and the lime crema was perfect. Made the whole lot for myself and had it for work lunches four times in a row without getting fed up of it. Will definitely be making it a go-to packed lunch.
I made this tonight and it is to die for! Every single component of the salad is delicious and everything is really simple to put together. If anyone reads this and is unsure whether they want to go to all the effort, I promise you it isn’t all that much effort, and it’s all worth it in the end anyway for this amazing meal. I love the technique of frying the corn kernels until they get brown and nutty and juicy and the lime crema is so simple and so tasty. I got a lot of yield out of this, so I’ll be taking it in lunchboxes to work for the next few days. I’m obsessed and I’ll definitely be making it again in the future.
This salad is AMAZING!!! I used fat free sour cream and it tasted great. That crema is something that could go on so many things! My youngest son is a college athlete and he is always looking for healthy side dishes that will add more protein to his meals. He loves this! I make a big batch so he can take some for lunch the next day.
This recipe is only one of about 30 I have tried over the last few months. You are my go to when I am planning my meals for the week. Not one recipe has let me down. They are all so delicious! Thank you a million times!!!
I can’t get enough of this recipe!! I’ve had it all week for lunch and would have it again next week if there was any left! Great recipe.
OMG this was fantastic. It was so good in fact that my BF who despises all things left over (don’t get me started), asked to have some for lunch tomorrow. Mind blown. Thanks so much for all you do. I’m a huge fan.
Not really a comment-er, because usually I read the recipe once, and use it as a base to put my own spin on it.
I vaguely doubled this – 3lbs sweet potatoes, 2 cans black beans, 4 bell peppers, 1 jalapeno, 16oz corn, 1 whole red onion + lots of cilantro + some green onions that I bought on a whim.
The WHOLE red onion was a bit much – may have been better if I soaked in ice water first, but I didn’t. Otherwise? ON POINT.
I don’t even like sour cream but the crema is delicious. I added garlic salt + some finally chopped cilantro to the crema.
So far it has held up well for lunches. I stored sweet potatoes separate from the rest of the salad, sans crema, which I also kept separate. I’ve been heating up the potatoes & then topping with cold salad & crema & mixing it all together. DELICIOUS.
I’ll make this recipe again, but also the crema separately to put on tacos, as a dip with hint of lime tortilla chips, or on top of a baked potato. Ooh, or on chicken tortilla soup. NOM.
I made this yesterday and it was sublime. I paired it with cilantro and like rice and mango habanero spiced chicken. I took one bite and was like yaaaassss, she did it again. Of course as I type I’m eating this for breakfast. I left the dish at room temperature. Oh… The crema is excellent.
Really great!! I usually don’t like sweet potatoes but it works in this recipe.
Holy Cow! This was the most delicious, addictive salad ever! I love, love, love this recipe!!! Thank you so much for this recipe.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s delicious. The first time, the red onion was too much for us. The second time, I used a shallot instead and it was just right.
I’m making this today. I don’t like raw red onion, so I’m thinking about rising it worth the sweet potatoes to take the edge off.
*roasting it with the sweet potatoes*
If you rinse the red onion with water first, it will mellow it.