Black Bean & Corn Fiesta Salad

Do you ever get invited to a potluck and then realize the night before you still have no clue what you’re going to make? I’ve definitely been there more times than I care to admit…and so I created the recipe for this quick, delicious, summery salad!

What I love most about this salad is that it’s sneakily healthy – the dressing is completely oil-free, and the salad itself is gluten-free and packed with veggies and protein. You won’t notice when you’re eating it because it has so much flavour!

Black Bean & Corn Fiesta Salad

Servings: 8-10
Time: 20 minutes

A delicious salad to share with friends at a summer barbecue.

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 can of black beans (I used a 15oz can) drained and rinsed
1 can of corn (12oz) drained and rinsed
1 green pepper
2 vine tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1 cup cilantro, loosely packed
1 avocado

For the Dressing

Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp cumin powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne OR 1/2 jalapeño, chopped (with seeds!)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Chop pepper, tomatoes, and red onion into 1/4 inch pieces and combine in a bowl with beans and corn
Chop cilantro finely and toss into the salad
Make the dressing – combine the ingredients in a small jar or bowl. Shake or whisk them to combine, and pour over the salad.
Finally, slice the avocado into 1/4 inch pieces – I like to halve the avocado, remove the pit, and then slice a grid into each half (about 4 slits each direction). Then, scoop the fruit out with a spoon and lightly toss it into the salad!

A couple notes:

If you’re not planning to serve the salad right away, wait to cut and mix in the avocado until right before you serve the salad. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find brown avocado super appetizing…
Feel free to use more or less spice depending on your preference. Personally, I like a bit of a kick, but nothing too crazy!

If you’re going to make this salad, keep in mind that it doesn’t just need to be served as a side – grab some of your favourite tortillas or some nice leaves of romaine lettuce, and use the salad as a filling for a delicious wrap! Not feeling a messy meal? Cook up some spiced rice and make a burrito bowl!

xo – M