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Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

A hearty mountain of roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, black beans and raw kale are tossed in a creamy lime-cashew-cilantro dressing in this brightly flavorful, vegan sweet potato salad recipe.

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vegan roasted sweet potato and kale salad with black beans and avocado in a bowl with cashew cilantro dressing

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cilantro-Cashew Dressing

A hearty mountain of roasted sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, black beans and raw kale are tossed in a creamy lime-cashew-cilantro dressing in this brightly flavorful, protein-packed vegan sweet potato salad recipe. Filled to the brim with nutrients both macro and micro, this powerhouse one-bowl supper tastes as good as it is good for you.

A Hearty Vegan Salad That’s Sure to Fill You Up.

Rich roasted sweet potatoes, toothsome raw kale, a squeeze of lime, a hint of jalapeño, and lots of creamy avocado—blended into the sweet potato salad dressing and cubed up in the salad, too—this health-bomb of a vegan salad is self-care in a bowl. Plenty of protein—from black beans in the salad and cashews in the dressing—and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil and nuts mean that it you’ll feel full and satisfied for hours. And we haven’t even talked about those glorious roasted sweet potatoes yet—they’re a pretty magical food, so we figure they deserve their own little spotlight.

sheet pan of cubed raw sweet potatoes seasoned
sheet pan of cubed roasted sweet potatoes

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Are Sweet Potatoes Good For You?

YES! Health-wise, sweet potato benefits are many and varied! Simple roasted sweet potatoes are as complete a snack or side dish as you could hope for—this colorful, sweet-and starchy root vegetable is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, selenium, many B vitamins, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. A drizzle of olive oil before roasting—at 400°F for 30 minutes—doesn’t just make the sweet potato taste good, it helps your body to absorb all that nutrition, too. A few more things to know about sweet potato nutrition:

  • How many carbs in sweet potatoes? With 27 grams of carbs per cup of cooked sweet potato (and about 17 grams of net carbs) they’re not a super duper low-carb food, but they are still a healthy choice and can be enjoyed as part of all but the most restrictive low-carb diets.
  • How many calories in a sweet potato? One whole sweet potato has about 100 calories—and considering how filling they are (thanks, fiber and complex carbs!), and how many nutrients they deliver, they represent a really great bang for your caloric buck.
ingredients for vegan roasted sweet potato salad and cilantro-cashew dressing
vitamix blender with blended cashew cilantro dressing

This Lime-Cilantro Vegan Cashew Salad Dressing Will Change Your Life.

Creamy, herbaceous and kicking with brilliant bursts of freshness—tart lime juice! Sharp fresh garlic! Springy cilantro!—this verdant vegan salad dressing recipe is one that you’ll make again and again. We’re tempted to think of a more famous salad dressing to liken it too—maybe Green Goddess or a lightly spicy ranch?—but really, it is so good and so unique that it defies definition. It deserves a moniker all its own! Suggestions welcome!

In addition to a pinch of salt and a pour of water, here’s what you’ll need to make this easy vegan lime-cilantro-cashew cream:

  • Fresh cilantro.
  • Fresh garlic.
  • Fresh lime juice.
  • Olive oil. Regular or extra virgin—either will work!
  • Cashews. Raw—and there’s no need to soak them, unless your blender isn’t super powerful.
  • Avocado.
  • Jalapeño. We add just half a jalapeño, and it’s seeded, so this dressing has the quietest, subtlest little kick ever. However, if you hate heat of any kind, it’s fine to leave it out.
vegan roasted sweet potato and kale salad with black beans and avocado in a bowl with cashew cilantro dressing

Tools You’ll Need:

Other Fall Salad Recipes To Try:

Just because summer is waning doesn’t mean that salad season has to end. Here are four hearty dinner salad recipes that make the case that salad for dinner should be a year round thing:

vegan roasted sweet potato and kale salad with black beans and avocado in a bowl with cashew cilantro dressing

Feeling Healthier Already!

We love a wildly indulgent meal as much as the next person, but sometimes nothing sounds better than a big bowlful of healthy goodness, and this roasted sweet potato and kale salad is exactly that. We hope it hits the spot, and gets you one meal closer to your health goals, too! Let us know how you liked it! Snap a photo of your salad, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  30 min
  • Calories: 359

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
  • 2 bunches curly kale, tough stems discarded, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves
  • 3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

Cilantro-Cashew Dressing

  • ½ cup cilantro leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes), plus more for kale
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ½ jalapeño, seeds removed, roughly chopped
  • ½ avocado

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position.

  2. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and taco seasoning. Arrange on a large rimmed sheet pan in a single layer. Roast until browned and tender, 25-30 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt, olive oil, cashews, ¾ cup water, jalapeño, and avocado to a blender and pulse until smooth. Makes 1¼ cups.

  4. In a large bowl, massage the kale with lime juice until tender and glossy. Add the cilantro, green onions, black beans, roasted sweet potatoes (served warm or chilled), and avocado, and toss with desired amount of dressing.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories359
  • Protein11 g
  • Carbohydrates41 g
  • Total Fat19 g
  • Dietary Fiber12 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium303 mg
  • Total Sugars7 g

Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Questions & Reviews

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  • Daniela

    How long can this be stored, and what is the best method of storage for meal prep?

    It should be good for 4 days. Store the dressing separately and we recommend not slicing the avocado and adding it until you are ready to eat it.

  • Kim

    Are there greens you think would substitute better than others for the kale?

    Whatever type of greens you prefer will work fine! Hope you enjoy Kim!

  • Tara

    Hello! Do you peel the potatoes or leave with skin on?

    Peel the potatoes, thanks tara!

  • Jean

    Can’t wait to try this!
    Can any of the prep be done in advance?

    Definitely! You could roast the potatoes ahead, prep the kale ahead and even make the dressing a day or two ahead of time.

  • Sharron

    Can you substitute the cashews for another nut? I'm allergic. Also can you substitute the kale?

    Salad recipes are usually pretty forgiving—you could definitely take inspiration from this recipe and make it your own by using a different green and serving it with a different dressing!

  • Hannah

    this recipe changed my life. Kidding but only slightly. Best salad I have ever made! I share this salad with everyone as much as possible and they all love it.

    YAY! That is so great to hear Hannah, we are so happy you love it!

  • Teresa

    Absolutely Delicious! I roasted my sweet potatoes in the air fryer for about 10 min. Yummy

    Thanks Teresa, glad you loved it!

  • Cheryl

    Made this and it was a huge hit. I used parsley instead of cilantro for the dressing, delicious.

    Thanks Cheryl, we are so glad that you loved it!

  • cari

    absolutely easy and delicious! the dressing is amazing. couldn't recommend more.

    Thanks Cari, so happy you loved it!

  • Angel

    I absolutely loved this dressing, I never write recipe reviews but this dressing is life changing.

    Thank you so much Angel, so happy you loved it! We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!