Corn & Black Bean Salad
For me, one of the ways that I stay on track with healthy eating is having a variety of things on hand and ready to eat that are both delicious and good for me. This salad is one of them! I debated whether I considered this a salad or a salsa, and in my opinion, the fact that I eat it on its own makes it a salad. (I’ve also seen similar versions of this called cowboy caviar which just makes me chuckle.)
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is in my fridge almost all of the time. And if it isn’t – it’s likely because someone just ate the last of it.
I love Tex-Mex/Mexican/Southwestern flavors, and this hits all of those buttons for me. It is the perfect base for burrito bowls, a perfect snack, and is a great taco/nacho topping. I don’t claim any authenticity here, just deliciousness.
In the summer, I don’t often want very heavy meals and this is the perfect way to fill up without feeling bulky. It’s also very easy to personalize – make it as spicy as your tastes prefer. Only have red onions? Fine! Want no spice? Omit the cayenne! Have jalapenos to use? Add one! Hate cilantro? Use parsley! Add an avocado! Add black eyed peas! It’s very forgiving.
I usually make this in the morning or the night before I plan to use it – it gives all the flavors a chance to come together and really pop. Taste it after a few hours to adjust the seasonings as needed. You may find you want more salt or heat. If you want to eat it right away, that’s fine too! It is delicious from the start and just improves with time.
I don’t even think it’s fair to call this a recipe because it’s really just a bunch of things thrown together. The resulting chaos, however, is incredible.
If you’re following WW this is 0 points on Blue and Purple, 4 points on Green.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can corn
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Drain and rinse black beans and corn.
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Adjust seasonings to taste. If your canned corn or beans are already salted, you may want to decrease the amount of salt you add.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat!