Black Bean and Corn Salad

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, here’s a satisfying salad that’s loaded with flavor and can be assembled quickly with just five (count ‘em, five!) on-hand ingredients. All it takes is some cooked or canned black beans combined with fresh or frozen corn kernels, tossed with a spicy tomato salsa, cilantro and lime juice. Depending on how hot your salsa is, you can add some additional minced hot chiles if you want more heat. The recipe is from my cookbook, Vegan Fire and Spice.

Since I couldn’t find decent tomatoes to make my own salsa, I made this salad with bottled fire-roasted tomato salsa that adds a wonderful flavor. You can enjoy the salad “as is” served over shredded lettuce or spoon it (along with some lettuce) into flour tortillas and add some chopped avocado, sliced black olives, shredded vegan cheddar, or vegan sour cream.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
This colorful and flavorful salad is easy to make with on-hand ingredients. For less heat, use a mild salsa. For extra heat, add minced hot chiles, fresh or canned. This recipe is from Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson © 2008, Vegan Heritage Press. Serve on a bed of lettuce or as a filling for soft flour tortillas.

1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup spicy tomato salsa (homemade or storebought)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until serving time.