Minoo made this nutritious and healthy Black Bean and Corn Salsa in the Caring Place community kitchen. This recipe is recommended by the Richmond Health Department’s community nutritionist.

This Black Bean and Corn Salsa is an excellent source of folic acid and fiber. You can make this into a meal by wrapping it up in a flat bread and top it off with some seasoned yogurt. This salad is delicious on grilled chicken or fish.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 540ml tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 341ml tin corn kernels, drained
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion or green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons vinegar (balsamic, wine vinegar, lemon or lime juice)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola, olive, corn, etc)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper

Instructions

Cut, chop and dice all the ingredients accordingly.

Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by whisking all the dressing ingredients together, until blended.

In a large bowl combine the salad ingredients and pour dressing over the salad. Toss to mix.If you would like to bring this salad for a party, keep the dressing separately until they are ready to be consumed.

Here some tips and options for making this salad:

• no hot sauce – try some red pepper flakes, or finely chop hot pepper
• no fresh parsley – use 2 teaspoons dried parsley, or substitute with cilantro, basil, mint, thyme or oregano
• no bell peppers – try chopping up some celery, zucchini, fennel or carrot
• canned tomatoes will also work when you don’t have fresh ones
• for a hearty meal, add 2 cups of cooked rice, quinoa or bulgur (you’ll have to add more dressing)
• some tasty additions to try:

• toss in some crunchy tortilla chips just before serving
• toss in some sliced olives, or chopped avocado
• crumble some feta cheese on top
• fold in chopped mango for a tropical flavor

Minoo, thank you for sharing such a nutritious recipe.