There are so many opportunities to bring a "dish to pass" or have a side salad with your grilled entrees during the summer. Most often, my mind instantly drifts towards pasta. Pasta salads are tasty and easy to make but often involve mayonnaise which requires refrigeration. I was so excited to come across a bowl of this sweet and tangy "salsa" at a neighborhood get-together. It's fresh and colorful as well as versatile. I can be eaten as a dip with tortilla chips, served as a side dish or used as a taco topping. It's loaded with veggies, after all!
choose the best quality ingredients you can find since nothing is being cooked
Ingredients:
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- I can corn, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium onion (red is best), finely diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
- 2 vine tomatoes, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Tortilla chips (lime flavored), optional
tossing diced avocado in fresh lime juice keeps it bright green
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, tomato and onion. In a small bowl, toss the lime juice with the avocado then add to the bean mixture. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the oil, vinegar and honey with the cayenne and salt, then pour over the ingredients in the large bowl, using a spoon to gently coat everything. Serve alongside your meal, or with tortilla chips (our favorite is the lime flavored type!) Cover and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days. The avocado and tomato will start to get mushy as it sits in the vinegar, so don't wait too long to eat it!
