What’s Cooking?! Blue Ridge Black Bean Salad/Salsa

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a stand out recipe and this one just screams summer to me!

We were at my parent’s lakehouse this past weekend for Memorial Day and we ate the heck out of this super yummy and ridiculously healthy salad/salsa stuff.  It is so good you could eat it straight from the bowl.  It’s also awesome for a really fast dinner salad to toss over some greens with your meat of choice.  I have made it as a side to grilled chicken too, but my favorite way is to eat this stuff loaded up on a tortilla chip.

Both of my kids love it and I’m loving that they’ll eat all of this healthy jumble of goodness.  My plan is to keep it around this summer as much as I can make it!  It makes a monsterous amount, so try buying a couple of mason jars and give some to a friend if you don’t think your family will eat all of it.  Who wouldn’t love you for that?!

Here you go friends.

Blue Ridge Black Bean Salad

from the Junior League of Roanoke, VA.

Lime Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• red pepper to taste
• salt and black pepper to taste

Salad

• 2 or 3 (16 oz) cans black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 (11 oz) can white shoe peg corn, drained (yellow corn may also be used)
• 1 to 2 cups cooked brown rice (I had a stroke of genius today and saved time using an Uncle Ben’s 90 sec brown rice bag.)
• 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 each green, red and yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small purple onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the vinaigrette, combine the lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, cumin and red pepper in a bowl and whisk to mix well.  Whisk in salt and black pepper to taste.

For the salad, combine the beans, corn, rice, undrained tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and mix well.  Add the vinaigrette and toss to mix. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator for up to several days. Serves 10-12.

Bon Appetit and Ole!