Eat Healthy and Cheap
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl
Sweet potato needs nothing added to brown: its sugars caramelize on their own past 400°F (200°C), so a hot, dry sheet pan does the work oil usually gets credit for. The other trick here is the kale, worked by hand with lime juice instead of salt, which breaks down the same tough cell walls and turns raw leaves tender in under two minutes. Black beans warmed briefly with garlic and toasted spices round out the protein, and a quick lime-pickled red onion supplies the sharp note this bowl needs without a salt shaker.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup long grain brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups Black beans, cooked, or one 15-oz can, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz Kale, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 Red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Lime, juiced, divided
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin seed, toasted and ground, divided
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika, divided
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1/2 Avocado, thinly sliced
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). On a parchment-lined sheet pan, toss the sweet potato cubes with half the cumin and half the smoked paprika, spreading them in a single layer with room between pieces. Skip the oil: sweet potato has enough starch and sugar to brown on its own once the pan is hot and the pieces have space to dry out rather than steam. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once, until the edges are deeply caramelized.
- Meanwhile, bring the rice and 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water to a boil in a small pot. Cover, drop to a bare simmer, and cook until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Off the heat, let it stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl with half the lime juice and a splash of water. Set aside, stirring once or twice; by the time the rest of the bowl comes together, the onion will have gone from sharp to pickled and pale pink.
- Strip the kale from its stems and slice it thin. Pile it into a large bowl with the remaining lime juice. Massage the leaves with your hands, squeezing and folding for a minute or two, until they turn a darker green and go silky instead of stiff. This is the same softening a heavy hand with salt would do, achieved instead with acid and pressure.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the black beans with the garlic, the remaining cumin, and the remaining smoked paprika, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes, until the garlic loses its raw edge. Add a splash of water if they start to catch.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, 2 to 3 minutes, until they puff and a few pop.
- Divide the rice, massaged kale, roasted sweet potato, and beans among four bowls. Finish each with the pickled onion, pumpkin seeds, avocado slices, and cilantro.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 430 calories, 14 g protein, 14 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
