Sweet Corn is everywhere in Iowa, we have fields of corn so it’s perfect for salads. The black beans is perfect healthy addition to corn salad, adding complex carbohydrates and vegetable protein. This salad is perfect for those summer BBQ that works well with all types of grilled meats and fish.
Preparing the fresh sweet corn:
My favorite way to make this salad is by grilling ears of sweet corn on my Green Egg. This gives corn nice grilled flavor and carmelize the corn kernels boosting that BBQ flavors. Just hard wood charcoal over medium heat about 350°f works fine. Watching carefully that kernels don’t burn turning ears corn often for about 10 to 12 minutes. I tried using apple wood chunks as grill and flavors where too harsh, with too much smoke flavor to salad. Just using hard wood charcoal works best good BBQ flavor profile with hint of smoky flavor.
Making the Black Beans:
Black beans are simple to make if you pre-soak the beans. It only takes 15 minutes in the Instant Pot saving you time easy to use without having to worry about burning the beans. There is also supermarket short cut buying canned black beans, but they lack flavor and often have canned taste If you do use canned black beans be sure to rinse off brine they are packed with.
The perfect ratio to make black beans is 1 part dry black beans to 2 parts cold water using the Instant Pot. Season with BBQ spice or garlic pepper using 1 tablespoon to every cup of dry black beans. Be sure to pick through black beans looking for foreign materials, and rinse the dry beans before soaking. I use the same soaking liquid to cook beans. This preserves the black color in beans, if you drain off soaking liquid you will loose some of color of beans.
For best result soak beans overnight, but a quick soak will work also, just bring black beans to boil reduce heat cook 1 minute. Turn heat off beans and cover with lid, let beans soak in hot liquid for 11 hour. Then place soaked beans liquid and all in Instant Pot add seasoning. Place lid on Instant pot with valve closed. Push select beans preset which should be 15 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally. This should take about 20 to 30 minutes totally. Cool the black beans and they are ready to use in salad. I always start the black beans first and by the time beans are cooked and cooled , everything can be mixed together.
Black Bean and Sweet Corn Salad
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Black Bean and Sweet Corn Salad is perfect recipe to accompany those BBQ Foods. It’s healthy, colorful and also mighty tasty addition to any BBQ Meats.
Black Bean and Sweet Corn Salad is perfect recipe to accompany those BBQ Foods. It’s healthy, colorful and also mighty tasty addition to any BBQ Meats.
Shuck the husks off ears of sweet corn and remove silk, raise well with cold water. Then trim ends of corn with sharp chef’s knife.
Coat each ear of corn with canola oil, I like to us the EVO sprayer to evenly coat ears of corn with oil. Next sprinkle garlic pepper over each ear of sweet corn.
Grill seasoned sweet corn over 450°F direct heat, turning corn often to prevent kernels from burning. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and allow corn to cool.
Cut the grilled sweet corn kernels off the cob and place cut corn in mixing bowl.
Black Bean & Corn Mixture
If using canned black beans drain liquid and rinse with cold water. Or cook dried black beans for 15 minutes in Instant Pot, 1 cup dried black beans soaked to 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt. Then drain and rinse cooked black beans with cold water. Note be sure to drain beans well after rinsing.
Place the drained and rinsed black beans in the mixing bowl with cut corn.
Small dice the red and yellow peppers and onions. Place red, yellow peppers and onions in with black beans and corn bowl. Toss mixture with spatula to evenly mix vegetables.
Combine together the honey, cider vinegar, oil, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest and garlic whisking well to create emulsion. Season with salt and pepper to taste, Pour this dressing over black bean and corn mixture and stir well until all vegetables are coated.
Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, lime juice and honey.
Retired Chef Instructor teaching 32 years of culinary arts. Blogging on creative foods by Chef Dave, featuring hot and spicy, chocolate, baking and Weight Watcher Smart Point friendly foods. Vegetable gardening, photography, and creative cooking is my passion.
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