Sweet potato black bean bowls
Roasted sweet potato, black beans and rice with a simple lime finish.
Serving illustration.
Roasted sweet potato, black beans and rice with a simple lime finish. This version is written for two people, with ingredient quantities that you can scale using the recipe card. Read the whole method before heating your pan so you can prepare the ingredients in the order they are used. Cooking times are estimates and should be checked against the doneness cues in the instructions.
What makes this dinner work
Even cubes help the sweet potato finish together. Check tenderness with a fork rather than judging only by the browned edges.
Warming beans separately lets you keep their texture while the potato roasts. This also makes it easier to prepare a larger batch using more than one pan.
Before you start
This recipe uses dry white rice; a longer-cooking variety changes the total. The sweet potato is roasted without its skin if you prefer, but peeling is optional.
Measure the sauce ingredients and prepare the vegetables before handling any raw meat or seafood. Keep the ingredient list beside you: changes in thickness, pan size and stove output can affect the cooking time. When multiplying servings, a second pan or separate batches may work better than crowding everything into the original pan.
Cooking and handling notes
Follow the preparation directions on packaged ingredients. Keep cooked food and preparation utensils separate from any raw animal ingredients in the kitchen.
The CDC guidance linked below covers keeping hands and surfaces clean, separating raw foods and refrigerating perishable food promptly. Check ingredient labels for allergies, including wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts and seafood where relevant.
Sweet potato black bean bowls
Prep and cooking times are estimates.
Ingredients
How to make it
- Start oven and riceHeat oven to 425°F (220°C). Cook rice according to its package, using the recommended water quantity.
- Roast sweet potatoToss sweet potato with oil, cumin and salt. Spread on a lined rimmed sheet pan and roast about 25–30 minutes, turning halfway, until tender inside.
- Warm beansPlace beans in a small saucepan with a splash of water. Warm gently, stirring, until hot.
- Prepare tomatoWash and dice the tomato using clean equipment. Cut lime into wedges.
- AssembleDivide rice, beans and sweet potato between bowls. Add tomato and finish with lime. Adjust the balance of components to your appetite.
Make it work for you
Even cubes help the sweet potato finish together. Check tenderness with a fork rather than judging only by the browned edges. Warming beans separately lets you keep their texture while the potato roasts. This also makes it easier to prepare a larger batch using more than one pan.
Sources & editorial notes
Follow ingredient labels and the cooking guidance below. Food-safety references are listed for further reading.
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