Black Bean Salad

There are some recipes you make and think, “I’m not eating that, it sounds disgusting!” And then you try it and absolutely love it. This is one of those recipes for me.

One summer afternoon while we were in Idaho visiting my partner’s mother, we were getting ready to prepare dinner when his mom started putting together what she called Black Bean Salad. At first glance, the ingredient list made me wonder how something with brown sugar, jalapeños and Dijon mustard could work, but after trying it, I realized they were indeed a match made in heaven.

Of course, this is one of those salads that can be tweaked slightly depending on heat and sweetness preferences, but the best part is that it also works extremely well for scooping with tortilla chips as an alternative to dip. For the best results, allow it to sit for at least an hour before eating, and stir well to make sure everything is combined.

Black Bean Salad

1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
⅓ cup lime juice
¼ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
2 cans black beans, drained
16oz bag frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 ½ cups celery, chopped
2 seeded jalapeños
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, lime juice, oil, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Stir remaining ingredients into bowl and cover until ready to eat. If making the night before, refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you plan on eating, allowing it to come to room temperature. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

If you like heat, don’t seed the jalapeños, and if you prefer extra virgin olive oil, that works well too, giving the dish a slightly fruity taste. You can also adjust the corn amount to anywhere from 8oz to 16oz, and canned will work too if either fresh or frozen are not available.