Summer food: because you can’t actually spend 12 hours a day loitering in air-conditioned coffee shops. Because laying on the kitchen floor and humming the same NoFX song for hours at a time will get to you at a certain point. Because humans cannot survive on carrot sticks and ice water alone. Because who even has air conditioning?!*
This black bean and corn salad really needs no introduction. I mean, it’s black beans. And corn. And tomatoes. And avocado. And lime juice. And all the other awesome stuff that belongs in a salad like this. If that doesn’t sound AWESOME to you, get outta my kitchen, because this is one of my favorite summer dishes of all time. Plus, if you ate nothing else this summer, I’m pretty sure this stuff would totally keep you alive! At least, I reaaaally hope it does, since that’s my plan.
I am never. Touching. A stove. Again.
- 2 c cooked black beans
- kernels from 2 ears of cooked corn (about 2 cups)
- 3 medium vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 large handful fresh basil, chiffonaded
- ¼ c fresh lime juice
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ Tbsp dijon mustard, or a splash of balsamic vinaigrette, or ½ teaspoon cumin, optional
- In a large serving bowl, toss together beans, corn, tomato, pepper, cucumber, avocado*, and onion.
- In a small bowl, whisk together basil, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, garlic, pepper, and optional flavoring (if desired).
- Chill at least 1 hour.
- Add extra lime juice and salt to taste.
- Serve cold.
*Norms, that’s who!
10 comments
Kelly @ Vegan Iowan says:
Jul 17, 2013
Yum! I could also see this going very well with tortilla chips…and perhaps a margarita…at a backyard get-together.
claryn says:
Jul 18, 2013
Definitely.
Carol says:
Jul 18, 2013
looks scrumptious. Am definitely making this.
luminousvegans says:
Jul 19, 2013
This looks so good and summery! Yum!!
Madeleine says:
Jul 20, 2013
It’s AWESOME indeed! Five stars! Thank you so much Claryn!!!
(And no, I don’t have airconditioning either… :P)
claryn says:
Jul 28, 2013
Thanks, Madeleine! I like to think surviving heat waves without AC strengthens the constitution.
Brittany @WeHeartVegan says:
Aug 8, 2013
I bet cilantro would be great in this in place of the basil! And I’m def with you and never touching a stove again (or at least for the next month :P)
Aricka Ladebu says:
Sep 1, 2013
Super, amazingly good salad! I made a few changes though. Had only 1 can of black beans, so I used it as well as a can of white navy beans. Instead of choosing between the mustard, vinegar and cumin, I used all 3. Used some lemon juice with the lime juice since I ran out of limes before i had 1/4 cup (didn’t actually measure…just eyeballed.) Really wonderful. Will be taking to my family labor day picnic.
KZCakes says:
Sep 2, 2013
Um yeah I feel you on the too-hot-for-life thing. This salad looks perfect for my life right now. Also Linoleum is like a wicked good song, so you’re cool.
claryn says:
Sep 11, 2013
Haha! I think you’re one of about 5 people who has ever actually clicked on my gratuitous punk YouTube links, much less gotten the reference, so: way to be!