Hearty Bean Corn Salad With Cilantro Vinaigrette Food

BLACK BEAN & CORN SALAD WITH ANCHO-CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine beans, corn, and both onions in a mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine ancho chile, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
• Clean the cilantro and remove any leaves that don't look fresh. Set aside 15 - 20 sprigs of cilantro for garnish. Finely chop remaining cilantro and add 1/2 cup to dressing mixture.
• Whisk dressing and add to salad, toss well, then add tomatoes and gently fold into salad. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. If storing overnight, refrigerate but serve at room temperature.

GRILLED CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. On the other side of the stove place a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the corn to the boiling water and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the water and allow drain on a plate covered with paper towels.
• Once the grill is hot, brush the grill pan with oil and place the bell pepper and jalapeño on the pan. Grill the bell peppers until grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill the jalapeño until marked on all sides, about 3 minutes.
• Brush the grill pan again with oil and place the dry ears of corn on the pan. Cook, turning the corn occasionally, until the kernels start to blacken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, slice the kernels from the cobs and place in a large bowl. Chop the bell pepper and add it to the bowl. Remove the stem end and seeds from the grilled jalapeño, then finely chop it and add to the corn mixture. Add the black beans, onion and cilantro.
• For the vinaigrette: Combine the lime zest, lime juice, tomato, red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, cumin, coriander, salt and chili powder in a blender. Blend on high speed until almost smooth. Lower the speed to medium-low; with the motor running slowly drizzle in the oil. Turn off the blender, scrape the sides if needed and add the cilantro. Pulse a few times until the cilantro looks like small specks of green.
• Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables in the bowl and toss. Taste and adjust any seasoning, adding more salt as needed. Sprinkle the salad with queso fresco just before serving.

BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH LIME-CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients, except avocados, in a large bowl and mix well. Toss with desired amount of dressing.
• Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados.
• Serve at room temperature.