Cuban Corn and Black Bean Salad

I always offer to bring a dish when people invite me over, and when they take the offer up, I sometimes get a little flustered trying to come up with something new and different.  This salad has been my staple this summer, when I grill out or when asked to bring something along.  So next time it’s your turn to bring a salad or a side dish to a barbecue (or just doing it for your own), here’s a fun, colorful salad with a difference – a sweet and tangy Cuban-style dressing.

You can absolutely use fresh corn, lightly cooked and cut from the cob, but it takes quite a few ears of corn to get this quantity.  I usually make this for a crowd, so I go easy on the jalepeno in the dressing, but feel free to bump it up a bit.

Cuban Corn and Black Bean Salad with Citrus Mojo Dressing

Salad:

3 (16 ounce) cans black beans, thoroughly rinsed and well drained

1 (12 ounce) bag frozen yellow corn kernels

1 (12 ounce) bag frozen white corn kernels

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

½ small red onion

A nice handful of fresh cilantro

Mojo Dressing:

Juice of one small orange

Juice of one lemon

Juice of one lime

¼  of  a small red onion

¼ of a medium jalepeno, deseeded

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup cilantro leaves

1 Tablespoon honey

2 ½ Tablespoons cider vinegar

½ teaspoon cumin

¾ cup vegetable oil

Salt to taste

For the salad:

Lightly steam the corn kernels in the microwave, either in the bag they came in or in a microwave safe dish covered with plastic wrap, for about three minutes.  Drain well. In a large bowl, combine the well drained beans and corn.  Finely dice the peppers and the onion and add to the bowl.  Finely mince the cilantro and add to the bowl.  Gently stir or toss the salad, being careful not to mash the beans.

For the dressing:

Pour the juices (you should have about ½ cup) into the carafe of a blender.  Drop in the onion, the jalapeno, the garlic cloves and the cilantro leaves.  Add the honey, vinegar and cumin and blend until smooth.  With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil.  Taste and add salt.

Pour 1 cup of the dressing over the salad slowly, gently stirring to coat.  Taste and add more salt if needed.  Refrigerate the salad for several hours, stirring occasionally to distribute the dressing.  Stir again right before serving.

Serves 10 – 12

Note:  The dressing makes about 2 cups which is more than needed for the salad, but it is great on romaine lettuce, as a dressing for coleslaw or a marinade for chicken or fish.  It will keep covered for a week in the fridge.