Summery eats coming right at yuhh!
This salad is lettuce free, with a subtly spicy option.
Since we love having options over here, you can also enjoy this colorful dish hot, warm, room temp, or chilled!
I personally prefer it just shy of burn your tongue off hot or room temp but you do you as always.
And guess what.
This salad can double as a healthy dip (hello crispy tortilla chips!) or even a bright taco topper if you’re going for a more substantial affair.
Yes chips and dip count as a meal… don’t be an Elaine.
Oh hey, are you overwhelmed by all the possibilities yet?
Didn’t think so.
You’re going to start off by sautéing sweet corn (fresh if available, frozen if not) in a splash of evoo. Then introduce diced red bell pepper to the situation in addition to minced jalapeño (if you want your tongue to tingle) and ground cumin for a little earthy kick. Black beans come in next, along with juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and cilantro.
Fold a handful of toasted pepitas in there for a nice crunch and an extra hit of protein.
Grab a spoon or a bag of your favorite tortilla chips then scoop away!
P.S. Can’t survive a single day without avocado? Fold in 1/2 a cup of diced cado right before serving. Oh yeah.
P.P.S. Not a cilantro lover? Don’t extend an invite to the herb, duh. It’s your salad/dip/taco topper after all.
P.P.P.S. Are you a big fan of tropical mangoes like me? Whip up this tasty Black Bean, Mango & Corn Salad. It’s sweet, zesty and oh so fresh!
P.P.P.P.S. You may have noticed that there are no raw red onions involved in this Southwestern salad scenario. No, that was not a mistake. Raw onions, along with celery, fennel, and green bananas, should all go extinct, thank you very much.