Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

It’s finally June and Father’s Day is around the corner. Instead of giving Dad a tie, make him a salad he’s going to love. This exceptional southwest-inspired salad will pair beautifully with his favourite grilled meat and a nice cold beer.

In the height of summer, you won’t find a better side dish. This salad tastes and looks like summer and you don’t even have to heat up your kitchen to make it! I love the array of bright colours, varied textures, and tangy, spicy dressing. For this reason, it’s my choice of salad to bring along to barbeque, picnic or pot luck. It pairs beautifully with so many different proteins and also makes a hearty main dish for a vegetarian.

What’s in this salad

This salad is super easy to assemble with a handful of simple ingredients. Fill a bowl with sweet corn kernels, meaty black beans, crisp cucumbers, bright red bell peppers, fresh spring green onions, cilantro, and avocado. A cumin-garlic-lime dressing blends these bright and fresh salad ingredients together beautifully.

Let me tell you a little more about the dressing. The cumin-garlic-lime dressing comes together in flash and is insanely delicious. It’s a little tangy from the lime, smoky from the cumin, and spicy from the garlic and cayenne pepper. Double the dressing recipe and you’ll thank me later! Store the extra dressing in a mason jar in the refrigerator and use it for other salads throughout the week.

Tips for making this salad

• Make salad a few hours ahead - but don’t add the avocado. Add the avocado just before ready to serve so it won’t darken.
• Look for firm but ripe avocados. It’s much easier to dice firm avocados rather than over-ripe ones.
• Once you add the avocados, stir the salad gently so you don’t end up creaming the avocados.
• If you like spicy food, be liberal with the cayenne pepper in the dressing and if you don’t, then omit it completely.
• Mix the dressing directly in the salad bowl before you add the salad ingredients, but if you prefer, whisk the dressing in a separate bowl and pour it over the salad ingredients.
• If you’re not fond of cilantro, then use the parsley option.
• The salad doubles beautifully; just be sure and use a bowl that’s large enough.
• When corn on the cob is in season you could easily replace the frozen or canned corn with grilled corn. This would add additional smoky flavour to the salad.

What pairs with this salad

Any grilled protein goes beautifully with this salad, even if just simple burgers and sausages. But if you really want to make Father’s Day special, try one of my favourite grilled proteins that pairs beautifully with this salad:

• Orange chipotle chicken fajita skewers
• Balsamic beef kabobs
• Grilled lemon rosemary chicken breasts

Since Dad’s favourite grilled proteins can’t stand alone, make this delicious and hearty salad that will surely make him happy.

Recipe

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Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

A salad bowl full of sweet corn kernels, meaty black beans, crisp cucumbers, bright red bell peppers, fresh spring green onions, cilantro, and avocado. A cumin-garlic-lime dressing blends these bright and fresh salad ingredients together.

Servings 8

Ingredients

Cumin-Garlic-Lime Dressing

• ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons liquid honey
• ¾ teaspoon grated lime zest
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• 3 cups cups frozen corn kernels, thawed; or 2 x 341mL cans whole kernel corn drained and rinsed; or 3 cups grilled corn kernels
• 1 x 540mL can black beans, rinsed well and drained
• 1 ½ cups diced English cucumber (unpeeled and seeded)
• 1 ½ cups diced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
• 3 sprigs green onions, white and green parts, sliced
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro (or parsley), finely chopped
• 2 medium whole avocados, diced just before serving
• 1 lime sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. If using the grilled corn option, grill the cobs directly on a medium-high BBQ for 10 – 15 minutes, turning often, until tender, cooked through and lightly charred; cool slightly then remove kernels from the cob to yield 3 cups.
2. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: oil, honey, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper (if using), salt and pepper.
3. To the bowl add corn kernels, black beans, diced cucumber, diced red pepper, sliced green onions and cilantro (or parsley). Stir well to combine the salad ingredients with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to a few hours.
4. Remove salad from refrigerator and give it another stir. Just before serving dice the avocados and add to the salad. Very lightly stir to combine the avocados. Garnish with sliced lime wedges.