Southwest Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

This sweet potato salad (Broke Bank Vegan) is way more substantial than a limp lettuce leaf, and a few slices of cucumber and tomato. Inspired by rich tastes of the USA’s Deep South, this pairs sweet potato with corn, tinned black beans, red onion, peppers, lime and chipotle power. Then sweetened with maple syrup. This is real salad, for men with big appetites!

This salad uses tinned black beans, but you can sub with any kind of beans. All tinned beans are high in protein and calcium, and cheap to buy. Black beans are common in Mexican food, often added to tacos and burritos. If you can’t find them, just sub with tinned kidney beans or any other beans you like (this recipe likely won’t work with baked beans though!)

Not only are sweet potatoes versatile, they’re brimming with vitamins while boasting a natural sweetness that can elevate any dish. Sweet potatoes have more nutrients than white potatoes, with a lower glycemic index (so less ‘sugar rush). And beans are cheap and tasty, and packed with protein and calcium.

Read up on food safety for people and pets (onion, garlic and spices are unsafe near animal friends). Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives) as like tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps, acids could harm compost creatures. 

For tinned ingredients, pop lids inside cans (or pop ring-pulls back over holes) to avoid wildlife getting trapped). 

To make your own salad is pretty empowering. You no longer have to rely on restaurant offerings of a slice of tomato and cucumber with limp lettuce. But also are free from the (very expensive) bagged salads in supermarkets, and dressings often made with dairy ingredients.