Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

If you Google this salad you will find hundreds of recipes, but this is my version. I have made it several different ways, but this is, by far, my favorite. Both corn and peppers are in season so at their peak. The salad combines sweetness from the grilled corn, fresh and crunchy from raw bell peppers, a little spicy from the serrano and is balanced perfectly with a tangy lime and honey dressing.

It gets even better after it sits a day or two in the fridge. Start by making the dressing.

In a large bowl add 3 Tbsp. avocado oil. I like this brand for it’s smooth, neutral flavor and high smoke point (500 degrees F), plus I really like the company’s philosophy of doing business. As with all avocado oil, it has good fats from the avocado and is versatile oil for sauteing, grilling, roasting, baking and more.  To learn more about this culturally rich company whose focus is on providing good, healthy, pure products, click on:

https://chosenfoods.com/blogs/central/chosen-heritage?srsltid=AfmBOorABBrYdh5_poisz1r-Wvap-1UZsMt44nEaqyU8onF_VXYcnUu7

“At Chosen Foods, our roots as a superfoods provider are in our DNA. These incredible foods that matter to our bodies and surely our families are why we continue to serve the global community with passion and love.”

I have also used Extra Virgin Olive Oil in this dressing. Although it is not a neutral oil, the distinct fruity, somewhat peppery flavor works well, but prefer the avocado oil. Any good quality, neutral oil will work.

Next add lime juice and zest from 1 lime, 1 garlic clove grated, 1/4 cup minced red onion, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. cumin and 1/2 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until emulsified. Emulsification keeps the liquids (in this case lime juice and honey) from separating. The honey helps bring the liquids and other ingredients together to form a dressing with a perfect consistency. Check for seasoning and add more salt/pepper if needed.

My good friend, Diana Makes gave me these adorable and practical measuring spoons. She found them on Amazon.

What I like about them:

They are held together magnetically, each spoon has a full size scoop with narrow option on opposite end for spices with smaller openings, and finally their measures include 1 Tbsp., 1/2 Tbsp., 1 tsp., 3/4 tsp., 1/2 tsp., and 1/8 tsp., PLUS they include a leveler. OK, I may be a little overboard on the measuring spoons, but anyone who knows me knows I LOVE kitchen gadgets. Thanks Diana!

Set the dressing aside and next grill the corn.

Husk 4 ears of fresh corn and clean 4 large scallions, white and light green parts only. Spray lightly with cooking oil and salt liberally. Grill on high heat turning often until you just begin to char the corn. The whole cob does not need to be charred. The scallions grill quickly so move aside once they begin to char. Once cooled, cut the kernels off the cobb and add both corn and scallions to a large bowl.

Stem, seed and dice bell peppers to make 1 1/2 cups. You can use any color you like, but the variety gives this salad a little more visual punch. I used red, orange and yellow bell peppers.

Dice 1 Tbsp. serrano pepper. Use more if you want it spicier.

I was preparing this for my Wednesday canasta group and not all the ladies like a lot of spice. If you want a gentler heat use jalapeno peppers. Serrano’s range from 10K-23K Scoville heat units and jalapenos range from 2500-8000 so much cooler. On average a serrano is 2 to 3 times hotter than a jalapeno.

Rinse and drain 1 (15 oz.) can of black beans. You can make your own black beans from scratch. I think they would add a fresher flavor and crunchier bean, but canned beans work just fine.

Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. You will need more for garnish. Stir well to combine and lastly add the lime/honey dressing and again, mix well to ensure the veg and beans are well coated with the dressing. Top with a little more cilantro.

As I said last week, not every recipe has to be super-complicated or fancy. This Grilled Corn and Black Bean salad is easy to put together and delicious served with breakfast, brunch, lunch or as a side with dinner.

It’s also good as a dip with tortilla chips. In the past I have added diced avocado, Cotija cheese and additional fresh herbs to the salad, but this time kept it very simple. I’d love to hear what additions you come up with.

Next week I am going to make a slightly more complicated pan roasted chicken and bell pepper dish, but promise you will love it!

I hope you have at least half as much fun as I do in the kitchen!

Until next time…

Print Pin

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

Sweet, a little spicy, fresh and crunchy. Delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. Avocado oil
• 1/4 cup Freshly squeezed lime juice and zest from 1 lime
• 1 small Garlic clove, grated
• 1/4 cup Red onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

• 4 large Ears corn on the cob, peeled
• 4 large Scallions, white and light green parts only
• 1 1/2 cups Bell pepper, red, green, orange, yellow-your choice
• 1 Tbsp. Serrano pepper, more to taste
• 1 15 oz. can Black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped; more for garnish

Instructions

To make the Dressing:

• Whisk together 3 Tbsp. avocado oil, juice and zest from 1 lime, 1 small clove garlic-grated, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk until emulsified. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt/pepper if needed. Set aside.

To make the Salad:

• Heat grill on high. Husk 4 ears of fresh corn. Prepare 4 large scallions-white and lightly green parts only. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Salt generously. Grill the corn, turning often until lightly charred. The scallions will char quickly, so move aside once they are cooked. Remove from the grill and set the corn and scallions aside to cool.
• Seed and dice bell peppers to make 1 1/2 cups. Finely dice 1 Tbsp. serrano pepper.
• Rinse and drain a can of black beans.
• Once the corn is cooled, cut off the kernels. Slice the scallion. In a large bowl add both corn and scallion, all the peppers, black beans, cilantro, salt and pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and stir again very thoroughly to ensure all the veg and beans are coated with the dressing. Taste for salt/pepper and add as necessary. Garnish with more chopped cilantro and serve.