Black Bean & Corn Salad

There’s nothing like fresh corn from the Farmer’s Market this time of year! Usually we grill our corn, but we didn’t have time over the weekend, so I microwaved* it. I used the left-over corn in this recipe.

BLACK BEAN & CORN SALAD

1 (19 oz.) can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained**
1 ½ cups cooked corn (grilled or frozen)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup fresh, store-bought salsa
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt and black pepper

1. In a medium-large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, red onion, and salsa.
2. Add lime juice, oil and cilantro. Stir to combine.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and let stand for 15- 30 minutes for flavors to blend. Serve.

Makes 4 cups.

Many people avoid corn because they’ve heard “it’s a starchy vegetable”, which somehow makes it “bad”. In combination with other non-starchy vegetables, it's a great choice. Here are some of the great nutrients in this salad: fiber and B vitamins from the corn along with more fiber, protein and many minerals (folate, manganese, magnesium and iron to name a few) from the black beans. ENJOY!

*To microwave fresh corn, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then wrap it in waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 1 ½ – 2 minutes per ear of corn (i.e. 6 – 8 minutes for 4 ears of corn), depending on how well you like your corn cooked. I like it crunchy, so I go with the shorter cooking time.

**I recommend rinsing and draining the beans to remove most of the gas-producing effect of the beans. It also removes 40-50% of the sodium if you are using regular beans. I recommend low sodium beans because you are then in control of how much salt goes into the dish. Add just enough salt to enhance the flavor without overdoing it.