This was a very quick, last minute addition to an enchilada dinner not too long ago. I wanted to have black beans but I wanted a little more than just black beans. I surveyed the cabinet, fridge and freeze and came up with this side.
The other handy thing about this salad is that it’s very easy to substitute ingredients or whatever. It’ll also travel well and is less volatile than a mayonnaise-based salad.
Quick & Easy Black Bean & Corn Salad
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 (or so) of a container pico de gallo (or about 1 cup diced tomato, onion & jalapeno)
1 cup corn kernels (frozen work well, just microwave in a few tablespoons of water first, for 1-2 minutes, then drain)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (you could also use small cubes of pepper jack or cheddar)
juice of 1 lime
1 tomato chopped
2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
zest of 1 orange
a couple of splashes red wine vinegar (1-2 tsp)
salt & pepper to taste
Optional: Chipotle pepper flakes (spellcheck changed that to “Chortle pepper flakes”…funny!)
Add the drained and rinsed black beans to a big bowl, along with pretty much everything on this list (except the avocado). Toss and serve at room temperature with the avocado slices. It’s delicious!
I make this sort of thing all the time. One of my favorite easy salads. Great on tostadas. A couple suggestions:
1) Instead of orange zest and vinegar, I’d suggest just squeezing a couple limes into it. It’d maintain the Mexican flavors better.
2) Instead of Chipotle pepper flakes, which I’m not sure is actually sold anywhere, I would use a standard chipotle sauce, like Bufalo.
3) Instead of feta, you could use a Mexican alternative, many of which are now in grocery stores. A salty and crumbly cheese is cotija. It’s used as a topping for lots of salady things. Panela is another good one, crumbly, but milkier.
4) Mexicans would be more likely to use serranos than jalapenos, though it’s not REALLY that important, except that in the US, serranos are at a more consistent heat level. Also, while jalapenos burn the lips, serranos don’t. They’re more of a back of the mouth chile.
5) Grilled chicken is a great addition if someone wants it to feel more like a meal.
Ah, good suggestions, all! 🙂
Although, I’ve found chipolte pepper flakes at Cost Plus before…(Spice Hunterm maybe?). Anyway, I like to use them every so often so they don’t get sad.