This quick black bean and fresh corn salad celebrates summer with Mexican flavors. It works great on its own as a meal or a side salad. The best thing is that you can serve it as a main meal in less than 30 minutes.
Fresh sweet corn pairs with healthy black bean
It appears that corn has become synonymous with a lot of negatives-- genetically modified organisms (GMOs), obesity, gut health disruption, and more.
Corn is indeed the biggest GMO crop in the U.S. It is also true that we unintentionally eat more corn in unhealthy forms, especially corn syrup. However, corn promptly features in the diet of Nicoyans, the residents of Nicoya in Costa Rica, one of the five Blue Zones where people live the longest and are relatively disease-free.
And we are talking about summer sweet corn here, which lends a subtle sweetness and texture to many summer dishes--corn chowder, corn ice cream, cornbread, and various salads. When choosing sweet corn for your kitchen, just buy non-GMO corn. It is ok to buy non-organic fresh corn on the cob, as the husk largely prevents the pesticides to affect the kernels. Black beans form the backbone of this salad, offering high protein and fiber, which keeps you full longer.
Also, try the Minty sweet corn ice cream.
Meal plan quick black bean and fresh corn salad as a main meal or side salad
This salad takes less than 30 minutes to put together if you use canned beans. You can also cook black beans fresh from scratch.
- If using home-cooked beans, plan ahead on the weekend and freeze them. Thaw the beans the night before.
- You can steam corn kernels a day ahead. Alternatively, use grilled corn kernels if you have fired up your grill. Be sure not to burn.
- To make a quick meal from this salad, just wrap it in corn (or wheat) tortillas.
- To make a filling salad, serve over a bed of greens.
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Quick Black Bean and Fresh Corn Salad
Ingredients
To make the dressing
- 4 tbsp fresh lime juice (1 lime, can sub with equal amount fresh lemon juice)
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp homemade roasted ground cumin (or use store-bought, optional)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste, can sub with equal amount red chilli powder)
- 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic (~1 small clove, optional)
For the salad
- 1.5 cups black beans* (cooked, 1-15oz can)
- 1/2 cup red onion (~1 small onion, finely chopped, can sub with white)
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels** (1 corn on the cob, kernels separated and steamed)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper (finely chopped, can sub with any other color bell pepper)
- 8 cherry tomatoes (sliced into halves)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste, no more than 3/4 tsp)
Instructions
To make the salad dressing
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
To make the salad
- Start out by boiling water in a stove-top steamer. Remove the outer covering of the sweet corn on the cob. Wash under running water, cut the corn kernels with a knife into a deep bowl. Be sure not to cut the kernels too deep into the cob. (Total Time: 5 minutes)
- Add kernels to a stove-top steamer and steam until soft: about 3-4 minutes. Once steamed, rinse in cold water and set aside. Alternatively, you can also use grilled corn kernels. (Total Time: 5 minutes)
- Wash the canned black beans under running water to remove the metallic taste and extra sodium. Drain well and add to a salad bowl. Add the chopped vegetables, steamed corn kernels, and freshly prepared dressing. Mix well. You can eat right after preparing or let it rest in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Enjoy on its own as a side salad or fill in a corn tortilla to make wraps for a main meal. Enjoy!
Notes
- Reduce salt to 1/4 tsp in the salad and omit it completely from the dressing.
- Omit the extra-virgin olive oil.
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