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4.8 from 18 votes

Mexican Sweet Potato Salad

Switch out traditional potato salad for this flavorful Mexican Sweet Potato Salad! This easy gluten free and vegan recipe is filled with healthy and delicious ingredients like quinoa, avocado, black beans and peppers. Serve it as a side dish with carne asada, tacos or fajitas, or meal prep it for lunches throughout the week

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 336 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Salad
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes
  • ½ cup quinoa (uncooked) - or 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup red onion diced
  • ½ cup red bell pepper diced
  • 1 Jalapeño seeded and minced
  • 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
Avocado Salad Dressing
  • 1 cup avocado see notes below
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper or chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the diced sweet potatoes to a large pot of boiling water on the stove.
  2. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender (but not so tender they’re falling apart).
  3. Remove from the heat, drain and transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Place the bowl of sweet potatoes in the refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes while preparing the rest of the salad.
  5. While the sweet potatoes are cooling, cook the quinoa on the stove using the instructions below, or follow this link for instructions on how to cook to quinoa in an Instant Pot or rice cooker. 
  6. Add the quinoa to a medium pot with 1 cup of water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
  8. Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl of sweet potatoes in the refrigerator to cool.
  9. Dice the red onion, red bell pepper and jalapeno.
  10. Add the diced veggies to the bowl of sweet potatoes and quinoa, along with the can of drained and rinsed black beans.
  11. To make the salad dressing, add the avocado, garlic, cumin, chipotle pepper powder, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil to a blender or food processor.
  12. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  13. Pour the dressing over the sweet potato salad and gently toss to combine.
  14. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve the salad.

Notes

  • Avocados – the avocados are the base of the salad dressing. Since avocados vary greatly in size, and the amount of flesh in each avocado varies depending on the size of the seed, I recommend measuring out the avocado after the skin and seed has been removed. You’ll need 1 cup of avocado for this recipe. Usually 2 small avocados, 1 1/2 large avocados or 1 extra-large avocado will equal 1 cup of avocado once the skin and seed has been removed.
  • Be sure not to overcook the sweet potatoes! Because the potatoes are diced so small, they only need about 10 minutes to cook in boiling water. If you overcook the sweet potatoes, they will fall apart and your salad will be mushy.
  • Always cool the sweet potatoes before mixing up the salad. If the sweet potatoes are still hot, they’re more likely to fall apart when you mix up the salad. I recommend at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. But you could also cook them up to 2 days ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator before making the salad.
  • Store leftover sweet potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge. I do not recommend reheating the salad, as it’s best eaten cold. The salad should be eaten within 7 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4serving Calories 336kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 45g (15%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Sodium 274mg (11%) Potassium 896mg (26%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 16520mg (330%) Vitamin C 26.4mg (29%) Calcium 70mg (7%) Iron 2.7mg (15%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 336

% Daily Value*

Serving 4serving
Calories 336kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 45g 15%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 274mg 11%
Potassium 896mg 19%
Fiber 11g 44%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 16520mg 330%
Vitamin C 26.4mg 29%
Calcium 70mg 7%
Iron 2.7mg 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.