Southwestern Black Bean and Vegetable Salad

Lately, we’ve been making a stronger effort in our home to eat more vegetables, along with drinking more water, and increasing our physical activity, so we can be healthier and have more energy.  This salad makes eating vegetables EASY and delicious!

It is so flavorful with lots of different textures going on…the crunchy red onion, the creamy avocado, and the fresh light cilantro…mmmm.

INGREDIENTS:  (Modified from The Food Network)

Salad

• 15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 orange pepper (chopped into small bite size pieces)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (chopped in fourths)
• 1 avocado (cut in small bite sized pieces)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Light olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

• 1/4 cup Extra Light olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Juice of two limes
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

Mix up your dressing first, so it’s ready to go when you need it. In a small jar, add all the dressing ingredients, and shake well. Now you’re ready to make the salad.

Cut up the tomatoes, pepper, onion and cilantro, and rinse and drain the black beans. Set them aside.

In the tablespoon of olive oil, lightly cook the peppers, onion and corn for just a couple of minutes over medium heat, till the onion and pepper are slightly cooked, but still crunchy.

Then add the black beans, and lightly stir for a couple more minutes, till they’re just warm.

Pour the dressing over and stir well.

Take the mixture off the stove, and add the cilantro and tomatoes.  Now cut up and add the avocado (after skinning and taking out the seed).  Toss it all lightly, and serve the salad immediately.

Print

Black Bean Salad

Course Salad

Cuisine Southwestern

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Author Joyful Homemaking

Ingredients

• Salad
• 15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 orange pepper (chopped into small bite size pieces)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (chopped in fourths)
• 1 avocado (cut in small bite sized pieces)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Light olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dressing
• 1/4 cup Extra Light olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Juice of two limes
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

• Mix up your dressing first, so it’s ready to go when you need it. In a small jar, add all the dressing ingredients, and shake well. Now you’re ready to make the salad.
• Cut up the tomatoes, pepper, onion and cilantro, and rinse and drain the black beans. Set them aside.
• In the tablespoon of olive oil, lightly cook the peppers, onion and corn for just a couple of minutes over medium heat, till the onion and pepper are slightly cooked, but still crunchy.
• Then add the black beans, and lightly stir for a couple more minutes, till they’re just warm.
• Pour the dressing over and stir well.
• Take the mixture off the stove, and add the cilantro and tomatoes. Now cut up and add the avocado (after skinning and taking out the seed). Toss it all lightly, and serve the salad immediately.

To me this is wonderful just slightly warm or at room temperature, but we had some left over which I refrigerated, and my husband even liked it cold the next day.

We thoroughly enjoyed this, and I’m so excited to find an absolutely scrumptious way to get lots of healthy foods into my family’s diet, and I know you’re going to love it too!If you enjoy salads, here are some other delicious salads you might be interested in:

Wendy’s Coypcat Berry Almond Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad

Sundried Tomato, Feta & Artichoke Pasta Salad

Fresh & Colorful Cobb Salad

Spinach Salad on a Stick

Hope you find a new favorite to try!