Quick Black Bean and Corn Salad

We’ve all faced this conundrum: what do you do when you’re starving, haven’t gone grocery shopping, and are still craving something flavorful and delicious?  That’s right: raid your cupboard, freezer, and fridge, and see what you can throw together.

In my case, I was looking for some kind of side dish to go with leftover Mexican food. Something with a delightful texture. Something with substance. Something colorful. (Okay, maybe skip that last one–I really just needed a little more to eat.)  Luckily for me, I was equipped with a can of black beans and some frozen corn, and a few other odds and ends.  After a quick jaunt over to Epicurious, I threw this tasty dish together in a matter of minutes.

Quick Black Bean and Corn Salad

(Adapted from Gourmet’s Black Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad…didn’t have any darn tomatoes!)

• The juice of 1 lemon
• About 2 tablespoons of olive oil (two turns around a large mixing bowl)
• One 15-oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• One cup frozen corn kernels, cooked for about 4 minutes in boiling, salted water
• 1 scallion, chopped
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Toss in black beans, corn, and chopped scallion. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. That’s it.

Now, this was delicious as is, but I couldn’t help but think of other ways to make the recipe even better. Clearly, having a tomato on hand would have made a huge difference in flavor and texture (and would have added a little more oomph to the color palate, too), though it’s not quite that time of year yet when one can find great tomatoes. I think that some cilantro would have made this dish especially amazing. Maybe some avocado, too. Still, this recipe made a plentiful supply of a tasty salad that was even more delicious for lunch the next day.

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