This is a print preview of "San Antone Black Bean Salad" recipe.

San Antone Black Bean Salad Recipe
by Amos Miller

San Antone Black Bean Salad

With friends and family living in the great state of Texas, my frequent visits have always meant new flavor profiles to experience, new ways to express myself in the kitchen and when I am invited out and asked to 'bring something to pass'.

I developed the following recipe to assure that I would seldom have to carry home any leftovers. I assure you, this summer, when friends suggest a picnic or are having a block party or a dinner outdoors - whether the occassion is a barbeque or a birthday for a friend - you will go home empty handed if you bring this salad. It surprises your guests because there is no oil in the dressing - making it light & bright!

I always prefer fresh, seasonal produce because it elevates my dishes and makes for much healthier and exciting eating - and THAT'S what it is all about, right? Now, get ready to put a fiesta in a bowl! Cooking well is its own reward.

Rating: 4.8/5
Avg. 4.8/5 9 votes
Prep time: Southwestern
  Servings: 12 Servings

Ingredients

  • The Salad - (I try to keep the cuts not too much bigger than the beans & corn - for appearance & to get a little of everything in a spoonful)
  • 2 lbs. black beans (I have a pressure cooker, but go ahead, use 2 15 oz. cans, well-rinsed.)
  • 2 lbs. cooked sweet corn, cut from the cob (OK, you can use 2 - 15 oz. cans of whole kernel corn or 2 lbs. of frozen corn, drained)
  • 8 green onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, large, minced
  • 2-3 jalapeno peppers, cleaned, diced (more if you like)
  • 1 green Bell pepper, cleaned, diced (I also sometimes add a small sweet red pepper, for both sweetness & color)
  • 1 ripe avocado, large, pitted, peeled and diced
  • 1 jar (4 oz) pimentos, drained
  • 3 tomatoes, seeded & diced
  • 1C fresh cilantro, chopped
  • sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • The Dressing
  • 3 T fresh lime juice
  • 2 T fresh orange juice
  • 2-1/2 tsp lime zest
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Season with the salt & pepper. Whisk the dressing vigorously to incorporate. Add the dressing to the salad and gently toss to combine everything. Chill until ready to serve. Lightly toss again prior to serving.
  2. TIP:
  3. Prepare this salad at least 4 hours prior to serving to let everything - except the avocado - marry joyfully in the bowl.
  4. You do want to let the avocado bathe in the lime juice of the dressing - better presentation that way, and you can store the avocado pieces in a small container. Then, pour the dressing off the avocado and mix the salad with the dressing, then dress the top of the salad with the avocado pieces at service. Very pretty dish & the absence of any oil seems to make all the veggies sparkle in a light citrus glow. You want this salad well chilled, but if you don't bathe the avocados in the dressing first, they will end up looking like grey lumps of pork as the air hits them.