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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Potluck-Worthy Big Cuban Salad

    August 12, 2016 • Updated: May 10, 2022 • by Renée • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Family-sized salad bowl filled with greens, vegetables, quinoa, and roasted vegetables, dressed with sour cream and avocado dressings. Pin text reads: Potluck-worthy Big Cuban Salad with Maple-Lemon Cashew sauce

    Loaded with roasted veggies, healthy grains, savory beans, and two delicious dressings, this Big Cuban Salad will be a crowd-pleasing favorite at home or at your next potluck!

    Family-sized salad bowl filled with greens, vegetables, quinoa, and roasted vegetables, dressed with sour cream and avocado dressings.
    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love this Salad
    • What Goes into this Recipe
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • FAQs & Expert Tips
    • Big Salad Recipes
    • Potluck-Worthy Big Cuban Salad

    Why You Will Love this Salad

    This is crowd-pleasing Big Cuban Salad is one of our favorite summer potluck and barbecue dishes.

    The first time we took this Big Cuban Salad to a gathering, I wasn't sure how it would be received. People at parties tend to stick with what they know; often leaving new, unfamiliar foods on the buffet table.

    As it turned out, I had no reason to stress. We left the party with an empty bowl: our Big Cuban Salad was a huge hit! 

    There are a lot of reasons to love this big Cuban salad:

    • It's full of fresh, colorful, clean ingredients.
    • All the components can be made well ahead of time.
    • It travels well. (Wait until you arrive at the party to dress it.)
    • It's delicious whether you serve it with warm ingredients or cold.
    • The sauces (Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce & Cilantro-Avocado Dressing) are delicious as stand-alone dressings for all kinds of veggies, salads, and bowls.
    • It's vegetarian, and vegan-friendly. (You don't have to make it vegan if you don't want to; but if you do, it's super easy to do.)
    • Did I mention? It's a great potluck dish!

    What Goes into this Recipe

    The ingredients in this Cuban Salad are fresh, clean, and simple.

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    ★ Quinoa: We like to use tricolored quinoa instead of single-grain, mostly because we like the extra color. (I do believe it has a slightly crunchier texture than single-grain quinoa, but that might just be me.)

    ★ Vegetable broth: Chicken broth also works well.

    ★ Sweet potatoes: Use an orange-fleshed American yam (sweet potato) for this recipe.

    Fun fact: True yams and sweet potatoes are two totally different tubers. Almost all yams sold in the US and Canada are technically sweet potatoes. The USDA even requires any label with “yam” to also include “sweet potato."

    ★ Black beans: Use canned or home-cooked black beans.

    ★ Red pepper: We used red pepper for this salad because we like the contrast, but a yellow or orange pepper will work just as well. Avoid using green peppers; they are essentially upripe peppers, and have a bitter component that may not work in this salad. 

    ★ Sour cream: Use whole or reduced fat sour cream. To keep the whole thing vegan, use a good vegan sour cream.

    ★ Cilantro: You either love it or you hate it. Leave it out if you are in the latter group. 

    ★ Maple syrup: Agave or honey will also work.

    ★ Lemon & lime juice: Fresh or bottled both work, although fresh lime juice is always preferred. 

    ★ Cherry tomatoes: If yo udon't have cherry tomatoes, sub in chopped whole tomatoes.

    How to Make this Recipe

    This Big Cuban Salad is really just a humongous buddha bowl! (In fact, I used this Cuban Quinoa Bowl recipe as a jumping off point.)

    We like to make all the components for this salad (i.e., the seasoned quinoa, roast sweet potatoes, black beans, and dressings) the day before and chill them. Then, on the day of, the whole thing can be assembled in a matter of minutes.

    Soak Cashews

    Place one-third cup of the 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.

    Seasoned Quinoa

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

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

    Remove from heat, but keep the lid on. Allow quinoa to sit for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in chopped green onions.

    Roasted Sweet Potatoes

    Preheat oven to 400°F | 205°C.

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

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

    2-panel collage: dressing sweet potatoes before roasting; roasted sweet potato cubes.

    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.

    Black Beans

    While the sweet potatoes are roasting and the quinoa is finishing up, sauté finely chopped half-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.

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

    Set aside and allow to cook completely.

    Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

    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.

    Serve up this is crowd-pleasing Big Cuban Salad with Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce at home or at your next potluck!

    2-panel collage: Sour cream, avocado, and other ingredients in small blender cup; thick, creamy, green sauce spooned from blended dressing.

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

    Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

    Remember those cashews you started soaking at the beginning of all this?

    Drain the soaked cashews, 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 and season to taste.

    small blender cup filled with soaked raw cashews and other ingredients. Squeezed limes and lemon squeezer in foreground.

    Put It All Together

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

    Mound Quinoa in the middle.

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

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

    Overhead shot of family-sized salad bowl filled with greens, vegetables, quinoa, and roasted vegetables, dressed with sour cream and avocado dressings.

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

    FAQs & Expert Tips

    Big Salad Bowl

    To make this big, beautiful salad, you need a big, beautiful vessel to put it in. (The bowl I use for this salad is one I painted years ago at one of those paint-it-yourself places.) You can use any large, shallow serving bowl.

    A large pasta bowl, for example, with it's large, shallow bottom and lots of open bowl space, is perfect repurposed as a party-size salad bowl to showcase the color and beauty of all the ingredients.

    If you have ever considered adding an heirloom-quality serving bowl to your collection, treat yourself with a beautiful handmade pasta bowl. (You can find some stunning, unique bowls made by amazing artists on Etsy.)

    Can you make individual salads with this recipe?

    As mentioned previously, this Big Cuban Salad is really just a great big buddha bowl! You can serve it in individual bowls; it's just a lot more time consuming.

    If this salad sounds tasty, you will love our recipes for Sweet & Spicy Black Beans, Calypso Chili, and of course, How to Make a Buddha Bowl. 

    Family-sized salad bowl filled with greens, vegetables, quinoa, and roasted vegetables, dressed with sour cream and avocado dressings.

    Big Salad Recipes

    • Classic Tuscan-Style Panzanella Salad
    • Caribbean Mango Salad
    • Honey Citrus Pasta Salad with Turkey
    • Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad (Applebee's Copycat Recipe)

    For more recipes and cozy living tips, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all of the latest updates.

    Family-sized salad bowl filled with greens, vegetables, quinoa, and roasted vegetables, dressed with sour cream and avocado dressings.
    5 from 6 votes

    Potluck-Worthy Big Cuban Salad

    Loaded with roasted veggies, healthy grains, savory beans, and two delicious dressings, this Big Cuban Salad will be a crowd-pleasing favorite at home or at your next potluck! 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan
    Prep Time:15 minutes
    Cook Time:45 minutes
    Total Time:1 hour
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 152kcal
    Author: Renee

    Equipment

    • 1 large serving bowl like a pasta bowl
    • 1 Half-Sheet Pan
    • 1 Blender or immersion blender
    • 1 medium saucepan
    • 1 gallon-size resealable plastic bag

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    Quinoa
    • ½ cup quinoa
    • 1½ cups vegetable broth
    • 1 teaspoons ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 3 whole green onions thinly sliced
    Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • 1 large sweet potato 10-12 ounces, peeled and cut ½-inch cubes
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    Black Beans
    • 1 cup cooked black beans 1 can, rinsed & drained
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ large onion about 1 cup, chopped fine
    • ½ large red sweet pepper or orange or yellow
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    Cilantro-Avocado Dressing
    • 1 large avocado
    • 2-3 tablespoons vegan sour cream or regular if you don't care about it being vegan or dairy-free.
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    • ½ teaspoon lime zest
    • Juice of one lime
    Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce
    • ⅓ cup cashews
    • 1 cup very hot water
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • pinch kosher salt
    Additional Ingredients
    • 6 cups salad greens
    • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved

    Instructions

    • Place ⅓ cup of the 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.

    Seasoned Quinoa

    • Combine vegetable broth, cumin, minced garlic, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
    • Stir in quinoa and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
    • Remove from heat, but keep the lid on. Allow quinoa to sit for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in chopped green onions.

    Roasted Sweet Potatoes

    • Preheat oven to 400°F | 205°C.
    • In a gallon-sized resealable bag (or large bowl) toss the cubed sweet potatoes with the cinnamon, ginger, and olive oil until evenly covered.
    • Pour sweet potatoes onto an unlined heavy metal sheet pan. Lightly sprinkle evenly with kosher salt.
    • 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.

    Black Beans:

    • While Sweet potatoes are roasting and the quinoa is finishing up, sauté finely chopped ½ 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.
    • Add black beans, cumin and salt and cook for 5 more minutes, until beans are tender.
    • Set aside and allow to cook completely.

    Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

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

    Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

    • Remember those cashews you started soaking at the beginning of all this?
      Drain the soaked cashews 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.

    ASSEMBLY

    • Evenly distribute greens in the bottom of very large, flat-bottom bowl.
    • Mound the prepared Quinoa in the middle.
    • Arrange the following in concentric circles radiating from the middle; ½ black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, ½ black beans, tomato halves.
    • Drizzle liberally with Cilantro-Avocado Dressing, Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce.
    • Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve remaining Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce on the side.

    Video

    Notes

    This salad is great whether you assemble it with warm or cold quinoa and sweet potatoes - it's just a matter of personal preference. 
    We like to make all the components for this salad (i.e., the seasoned quinoa, roast sweet potatoes, black beans, and dressings) the day before and chill them. Then, on the day of, the whole thing can be assembled in a matter of minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2450IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

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    About Renée

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

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    Comments

    1. Heidi Hinck says

      August 01, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      I was looking for a different potluck salad for our last summer band concert and this did the trick. Everyone seemed to like it and some took doubles. 🙂
      I like the suggestion someone said about being able to substitute the cilantro-avocado dressing with a store lime cream dressing but I also like know how to make from scratch. I should've remembered to add some water to thin it down a bit so as not struggle so trying to squirt it around but it was still good. For all the various flavors, I think next time I will still add a bit more kick to the salad and then I'll love it. 🙂

      Reply
      • Renée says

        August 01, 2021 at 5:14 pm

        Thanks for the great feedback!

        Reply
    2. Sarah Dudley says

      June 25, 2019 at 6:18 pm

      This looks absolutely delicious! Will definitely be trying 🙂

      Reply
    3. Cindy says

      June 25, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      Mmmmm this looks so good! I love trying different things and this is perfect. I can’t wait to make it.

      Reply
    4. Sarah says

      June 25, 2019 at 1:15 pm

      Wow, the colors and presentation are just stunning! It sounds so easy to make too! Positively an all around potluck win!

      Reply
    5. Christa says

      June 25, 2019 at 11:13 am

      This looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to make it for myself. Maybe a slightly smaller portion though. ?

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        June 25, 2019 at 12:34 pm

        It does make a lot of cornbread! Cutting the recipe in half is totally fine - just make it in a smaller skillet, or make a thinner cornbread in the larger skillet. Either way, remember to reduce the time accordingly.

        Reply
    6. Brittany Limberakis says

      June 25, 2019 at 8:27 am

      Oh wow! So many yummy foods all in one salad! I know my family would love this.

      Reply
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