I made this southwest sweet potato quinoa salad last week and it was so good I had to share! I’ve been trying to eat mostly vegan since January and have been experimenting with different recipes and flavors & this has been one of my favorites so far. It’s perfect for these gorgeous summer evenings and dining al fresco in the back yard. See below for the recipe, and also for the bonus recipe of the watermelon-mint cooler.

Enjoy, friends! Hope you’re staying safe. xoxo

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INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled & diced into small cubes
Salt
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
Salt & Black Pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
Avocado
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Spinach (optional)
Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well. Toss the sweet potato, cooked quinoa, bell pepper and onion together in a bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add avocado, beans and cayenne pepper.
Whisk the oil and lime juice together in a separate small bowl. If you’re like me and have only you in your household and split this into many meals, don’t toss the dressing with the rest of the salad. Keep the dressing separate and add only to what you’re eating, otherwise it’ll get soggy. No one likes soggy salad! If you’re a family, or hosting a party where it will all be eaten right away, toss the dressing in and mix it up to blend the flavors.
Place your sweet potato/quinoa mixture atop a generous bed of spinach and top with toasted pumpkin seeds. You can also skip the spinach and enjoy as a potato salad; it’s just an added bonus!
Devour.

Watermelon Mint Cooler

Fresh Watermelon
Fresh Mint
1/2 Lime Juice
Ice
Place your fresh watermelon, mint, lime juice & ice in a blender and juice for about 30-45 seconds until well-blended. You don’t need a lot of ice - it’s just to chill in case your watermelon hasn’t been refrigerated. I don’t know about you, but I like my drinks to be chilly in the summer! You could also add sugar or some type of sweetener to this if you like your drinks on the sweeter side. I think the watermelon is sweet enough, though, and I’m trying to kick all sugar from my life so I didn’t add any. You can also add a shot of tequila if you’ve had a day. No judgement here. 2020’s been rough!