It’s often quite true—particularly with food—that simpler is better and this recipe is no exception. It’s a big favorite of mine because not only is it delicious, it’s healthy and so, so easy to make. A few simple ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen/garden right now are all you need to make Black Bean and Corn Salad, a perfect summer side dish. Sweet corn, creamy black beans, and aromatic red onion and bell pepper, mixed with a little bit of acid from lime and red-wine vinegar and some spice from Tabasco and cumin make a delicious cold dish for that get-together this weekend.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 c. frozen sweet corn (or fresh). I used “Super Sweet White and Yellow”.
- 1 can unseasoned black beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
- 1 small red onion, about 1 c. minced
- 1 small red bell pepper, about 1 c. diced
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 to 1 t. cumin (to taste)
- 2-3 T. vegetable oil
- 2-3 T. red wine vinegar
- Juice of one lime
- Tabasco sauce, to taste (I used about 12 dashes), or your favorite hot sauce.
Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat with the dressing and spices. Taste it and add any more spice, acid, or salt if you like.
The frozen corn will thaw pretty quickly, chilling the other ingredients in the process. Let it sit, either on the counter or in the fridge, for 10-20 minutes before serving.
Enjoy your Black Bean and Corn Salad!
If you like this recipe, you might also like my recipe for Mexican Chopped Salad.