Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad

I love fresh picked corn on the cob.  Steamed with a little salt and melted butter, it tastes like summer on a plate.  Luckily, we get a lot of corn through our CSA so I get to eat my fill.  Once in a while, after the steamed and grilled ears have gotten a little (dare I say it) blase, I start hunting around for a little something different.

Corn, hot off the grill

When we made carnitas for dinner the other night (post coming soon), I wanted something fresh and southwestern-inspired to add to our pork burritos.  Enter this quick and easy summer salad/salsa/condiment.  It doesn’t take long to throw together and it is even better if you make it in advance and let it sit for a while.  You don’t have to grill the corn but I really like the smoky, slightly charred flavor that the corn takes on after a spin on the grill.  If you want to spice this up a bit, feel free to add a chopped hot pepper or even a little chipotle in adobo for a smoky kick.

Ready to mix

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad

From the mind of Kelly

Ingredients:

6 ears of corn

2 cups black beans ( or 1, 15 oz can rinsed and drained)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

zest and juice of one lime

1 tbls fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tbls fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 tbls extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To Make:

Start your grill (gas or charcoal) and get it good and hot. Shuck the corn, making sure to pull off as much of the silk as you can.  Roast the corn directly on the grill grates, turning a quarter turn every 2-3 minutes.  When it is done, the kernels will be just barely tender.  Feel free to roast it a bit longer if you like your corn softer.

Once the ears have cooled, trim off the kernels into a medium.  Stir in the black beans, herbs, spices, lime zest, and the squeezed lime juice until well combined.  Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

To Serve:

Serve as a salad, as a topping to burritos or quesadillas, add a finely minced hot pepper and call it a salsa, the possibilities are endless.  Serves 4-6 as a side dish.