Black Bean and Yellow Corn Salad - The Perfect Summer Salad

In the blazing mid-June heat, I had a bit of trouble figuring out what to eat for dinner without inducing heat-stroke. Everything that required an oven or a stove was out of the question - I didn’t need any extra heat in the kitchen.

Luckily, I found a can of black beans stashed away in the pantry and came up with this super flavorful black bean and corn salad. Colorful and served chilled, it’s cooling, yet it fires up the taste buds with a South American flair.  

Black Bean and Yellow Corn Salad

Ingredients

- ½ cup of cilantro

- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped

- 2 ears of cooked corn  (I used tri-color sweet corn, but a cup of frozen corn works as well)

- 1 can of drained & rinsed black beans

- 3 green onions, chopped

 - 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)

Dressing

- 1 lime, squeezed

- Cayenne pepper to taste

- Pinch of salt

- Teaspoon of olive oil

- 1 garlic clove, diced

Directions

In a bowl toss together, chopped red bell pepper, cooked corn kernels, black beans, green onions, and cilantro. To make the dressing - combine lime juice, cayenne pepper, salt, olive oil, and garlic in a small container - then, shake. Drizzle dressing over salad and stick in the fridge until chilled. Enjoy!  

(Serves 2)

Tips: 
- Serve in a chilled bowl. It keeps the salad nice and cool while you munch! 
- If you pulse in a blender, it can double as a salsa.

Thanks for reading! Check back for weekly recipes, while I attempt to survive the summer heat!