Whew! How’s that for a title?! These Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls with Avocado Lime Crema are a flavor-packed, easy to throw together lunch or dinner! I love prepping everything ahead of time so all of the pieces are done and quick to reach for. The Avocado Lime Crema is bursting with fresh flavor and will be your new favorite bowl-topper for the summer!
I have such a strange relationship with sweet potatoes.
Some people absolutely love them and some absolutely hate them.
Me? I go through cycles. As in, I will absolutely love them for a few months, roasting them and eating them several times a week. And then suddenly, the thought of one fills me with dread and I’ll absolutely hate them for a couple years. Then, it cycles back around and they’re on the grocery list again, with my husband giving me quizzical looks because he knows I was just ranting about how disgusting they were.
Well, we’re back in love again. Come to mama!
I love my sweet potatoes roasted with an almost-burnt, exterior, caramelizing the natural sugars. And they need to be tossed in savory and salty spices, not more sweetness.
So, this bowl is the perfect for lunch or dinner! I love the way the flavors of the roasted sweet potatoes marry with the black beans and are pushed over the edge by the Avocado Lime Crema! Seriously, Avocado Lime Crema.
And that’s where this bowl becomes serious business. You have to make the Crema. And you have to try to not eat it all out of the blender before it hits the bowl.
Avocado, creamy yogurt and fresh lime are whipped together, making the perfect topper with a Mexican edge. So freaking good.
You could totally load this bowl up with more veggies, like chopped bell peppers or loads of Fresh Salsa but I like to just pile mine high with cilantro.
Stir it all up and you have the perfect meal. And you could totally have all of the ingredients ready ahead of time: prepping quinoa, roasting sweet potatoes, blending Avocado Lime Crema and rinsing off black beans and having them in containers in the fridge, ready to throw together. Now that’s fast food, the right way!
- ¾ cup cooked quinoa*
- ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed well
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 small-medium sweet potato
- 1 Tbs. coconut oil, melted (I used Nutiva buttery coconut oil spread)
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- ½ lime wedge
- salt and pepper
- Avocado Lime Crema (2 portions)
- 1 ripe avocado
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (2% or full fat)
- juice of 2 limes
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- Preheat your oven to 375.
- Scrub your sweet potato until clean. Cut the potato into equal chunks, about ½” thick and put the potato chunks in a bowl. Drizzle the coconut oil over the top, then the paprika, chili powder and Kosher salt. Toss to coat. Spread the potato out on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once, until they’re well roasted and dark on the outside.
- Make your Avocado Lime Crema: Place all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth.
- Assemble your bowl: Layer in the quinoa, black beans, cilantro and the roasted sweet potato. Dollop on ½ of the Avocado Lime Crema. Spritz on the lime wedge and season with salt and pepper.
- Eat, enjoy!
- *I rinse dry quinoa really well (I usually make 1 dry cup at a time). Bring to boil 1c quinoa and 2c water. Stir and turn down to a low simmer and cover. Cook 20min. Fluff, and store in fridge until you're ready to use it!
Love making lunch bowls? Try my Buddha Bowls too!
Kristen Chidsey says
I could drink that avocado cream!! So good!!
Melissa Falk says
I love this, Melissa. Such a vitamin packed meal that is also plenty filling. I like to eat this way, too.
Taylor Kiser says
This bowl is calling my name! Wish reaching through this screen and grabbing it was an option! lol
Melissa says
Thanks Taylor. I often feel this way too! Why is that not a thing?!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Potatoes are my life <3 But I never buy orange sweets only Japanese!
Marye says
This is perfect for lunch, it looks SO delicious!
Maria says
This bowl sounds so yummy!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
I used to be a sweet potato hater, but I’ve come around, big time! So now when I see a dish like this — YUM! Love all the goodies in this bowl!
Melissa says
DITTO! I don’t know what it was that took me a good 26 years or more to come around to it!