Potluck-Worthy Big Cuban Salad

Step 1

Place 1/3 cup raw cashews in a small bowl and cover with very hot water. Set aside to soak while you make the sweet potatoes, quinoa, and black beans.

Step 2

Combine vegetable broth, cumin, minced garlic, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Step 3

Stir in quinoa and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Remove from heat. (Keep lid on.) Allow quinoa to sit for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in chopped green onions.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Step 6

In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (or large bowl) toss the cubed sweet potatoes with the cinnamon, ginger, and olive oil until evenly covered.

Step 7

Pour sweet potatoes onto an unlined heavy metal sheet pan. Lightly sprinkle evenly with kosher salt.

Step 8

Put in oven and roast sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes, then toss gently and return to oven for another 8-10 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Step 9

While Sweet potatoes are roasting and the quinoa is finishing up, sauté finely chopped 1/2 onion in olive oil until translucent. Add minced garlic clove and chopped red pepper and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to turn brown.

Step 10

Add black beans, cumin and salt and cook for 5 more minutes, until beans are tender.

Step 11

Set aside and allow to cook completely.

Step 12

Combine all ingredients and blend with a small beverage or immersion blender until smooth. It should be about the same thickness and consistency as a good milkshake.

Step 13

If mixture is too thick, add a little extra water.

Step 14

Remember those cashews you started soaking at the beginning of all this?!? Drain them, and throw them into a blender with the remaining Cashew Sauce ingredients. (i.e., garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, lemon juice and maple syrup.) Puree on high until smooth. Season to taste.

Step 15

Evenly distribute greens in the bottom of very large, flat-bottom bowl.

Step 16

Mound Quinoa in the middle.

Step 17

Arrange the following in concentric circles radiating from the middle; ½ black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, ½ black beans, tomato halves.

Step 18

Drizzle liberally with Cilantro-Avocado Dressing, Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce.

Step 19

Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve remaining Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce on the side.