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Great vegetarian lunch or a satisfying side dish, Wild Rice Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans is a hit at our house! Chewy wild rice, sweet roasted veggies, and healthy black beans in a delicious, smoky dressing make for one of the best healthy and filling salads.

Fillings Salads Recipes – Wild Rice Salad with Sweet Potato And Black Beans

Now that the holidays are over, I’ve been excited (and actually kind of relieved) to get back to healthier eating.

Some of that comes from a desire to take off a couple of Christmas pounds. But more than anything, I just feel better when I’m eating fresh, healthy dishes made in my very own kitchen.

However, if the dish doesn’t taste good then it really doesn’t matter how healthy the ingredients may be, am I right? Food can and should be one of life’s pleasures. Taking a break in the day to enjoy a good meal should be an experience we look forward to.

Wild Rice Salad with Sweet Potato and Black Beans is one of those meals.

I love filling salads that give me plenty of fuel for busy days. This one is loaded with great tasting ingredients that also happen to be great for you – savory black beans and chewy wild rice for a one-two punch of protein, vitamin-rich fresh and roasted veggies – in a heart-healthy olive oil and vinegar dressing laced with spices and a touch of smokey flavor.

It all adds up to a great-tasting salad that also happens to be great for you.

What Do You Need to Make Wild Rice Salad With Sweet Potato And Black Beans?

So, let’s talk ingredients!

Most of what you’ll need to make this dish is probably familiar and should be easy to find in your local supermarket. But I do have some thoughts about possible substitutions, and one or two of the ingredients may be new to you. Starting with…

Wild Rice – Interestingly, wild rice really isn’t rice. It’s actually the long grain of a semi-aquatic grass. It’s got lots of fiber and is a great source of manganese, phosphorous, and zinc. On top of all that, it contains a lot of protein – twice as much as brown rice.

I love wild rice’s slightly nutty flavor and chewy texture and chose to use it on its own for this recipe. However, some people might find the texture a little too chewy. No worries, you can always substitute a wild rice blend – with a mixture of regular and wild rice – in the recipe. It won’t have quite as much protein or as many minerals, but it’s still a very healthy and tasty choice.

Black beans – one of my favorites, but any type of canned beans will work here.
Sweet potatoes – For me, they’re a must. But if you simply don’t care for them, you might try substituting some canned for fresh corn kernels.
Bell peppers – I used a blend of red and yellow peppers but green would be great too, just not quite as sweet in flavor.
Green onions – if you don’t have any on hand, you could dice a small regular onion and roast it with the other veggies.
Cilantro – for me, it’s the perfect herb to complement the Southwestern flavor profile of this dish. But if you just don’t like cilantro, feel free to use parsley.
Olive oil

Cider vinegar – the robust flavor of cider vinegar is great here, but white wine vinegar could work in a pinch. I’d stay away from balsamic, however. It’s just a little too sweet for this salad.
Tomato paste
Spices – I used smoked paprika and cumin in the dressing. It brings in a lovely smokey taste that’s perfect with these Southwestern-inspired ingredients. But, feel free to experiment with other spices if you’d like.
Brown sugar – not a lot; just enough to help boost the smokey taste of the paprika.
Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice adds a wonderful tang to the dressing, but you can also use bottled juice or simply skip it.
Salt and pepper – Be sure to taste the dressing before you pour it over the salad. I didn’t add much salt because I prefer to let the other spices carry the day. You can always put in a bit more if you want to.

Tips For Filling Salads – Wild Rice Salad with Sweet Potato And Black Beans

The recipe instructions you’ll find below are very straightforward, so I won’t go over that here.

But do look over my comments about using 100% wild rice above. If the texture is too chewy for you, a wild rice blend can be great too. Something else to note about wild rice, it does take quite a long time to boil. Keep that in mind when you’re starting this recipe.

With such a variety of ingredients that include protein, healthy carbs, and fats, this wild rice salad is a meal unto itself. One that you can serve to almost anyone, no matter their dietary restrictions!

Because in addition to being tasty and healthy, wild rice salad with sweet potatoes and black beans is gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan. (But check that the brown sugar you’re using is vegan).

Also, this is a generous recipe. You can always cut it in half if you like, but the salad will keep stored covered in the fridge for three to four days.