Chopped Black Bean Salad (Print version)

Protein-rich beans and fresh vegetables in zesty lime dressing

# What you'll need:

01 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced

04 - 1 small cucumber, diced

05 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

06 - 1 cup corn kernels

07 - 1 ripe avocado, diced

08 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

09 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

10 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

11 - 1 tsp honey or agave syrup

12 - 1 garlic clove, minced

13 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin

14 - 1/2 tsp sea salt

15 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the black beans, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, corn, and cilantro.

02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey or agave, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper until emulsified.

03 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine.

04 - Add the diced avocado just before serving and gently fold it in to avoid mashing.

05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or chilled.

01 -

Its that magical dish that somehow tastes better the next day as the flavors meld together
You can throw it together in under 20 minutes with ingredients you probably already have

02 -

I learned the hard way that adding avocado too early turns everything slightly brown and mushy
Letting the salad sit for 15 minutes before serving makes such a huge difference in flavor development

03 -

Use frozen corn in winter and quickly pan roast it in a dry skillet for that sweet charred flavor
The key to restaurant style texture is dicing everything roughly the same size