Some of my favorite dishes are those that are not only delicious but easy to make and cleverly incorporate standard pantry items and some key fresh ingredients that can be varied according to season and availability. This recipe is bound to be one of your favorites and is so versatile that it:

* can be served as a substantial part of a main plate
* can be spooned into soft tortilla and topped with some crumbled cheese for a quick taco night
* can serve as a crowd-pleasing party food accompanied with tortilla chips for scooping!
* is Vegetarian
* is Vegan
* is packed with lean protein
* is Gluten Free
* has no saturated fat
* allows you to vary it according to what fresh peppers, alliums, and herbs you have available
* is served at room temperature, so no need to make ahead
* allows you a quick no-cook meal with ingredients commonly found in the pantry

It’s one of my favorite things to bring or serve at a party because it’s not labor intensive and can be made right before you set the table or put a cover on it and walk out the door. I also almost always double the recipe, so that I can scoop out a few cups of it to put in a container in the fridge, taking the pressure off of at least one meal in the coming days (although it rarely lasts more than 24 hours)!

Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans that have been well rinsed and thoroughly drained of liquid
1 cans of your favorite canned corn (good quality that is still crisp), rinsed and well-drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced, using as much of the scallion as possible; white and green
1/2 cup (approximately) of finely diced bell peppers with all seeds and membrane removed. Use any bell pepper you like: sweet, spicy, or a colorful combination.

For the Dressing:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (if you don’t have fresh, substitute vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp hot sauce (I use Tabasco here)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How I make it:
* Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until well-blended.
* In a large mixing bowl (or foil pan) combine the rinsed and drained black beans, corn, scallions and peppers.
* Pour the dressing over it and mix well.
* Taste to see if it needs any additional salt (I tend to keep the seasoning on the lighter side as I often serve it with salty tortilla chips or with a salty crumbled white cheese on tacos).
* Mix well immediately before serving.

Optional Ingredients/Variations:
* add grated lime zest for even more bright flavor
* substitute your favorite vinegar if you don’t have lime juice (red & white wine vinegar work well, as does champagne vinegar, and even white vinegar works just fine)
* If you prefer you can also sub out the canned corn for frozen corn that has been thawed and drained or leftover corn on the cob that has been cut off the cob.
* scallions can be substituted for finely diced red onion (Read All About Alliums here)
* boost the depth of cumin flavor by lightly toasting it in a small dry pan before adding it to the dressing.
* chopped cilantro is amazing with this (if you think cilantro is amazing), as are many other fresh herbs such as chives or parsley.
* chopped avocado
* seeded, chopped tomato
* seeded, chopped cucumber
* chopped jicima

Tips:
* Because the salt will draw moisture out of the fresh ingredients, it’s important that it is always well mixed immediately before serving, including after it’s been refrigerated, as well as given an occasional mix when serving on a buffet or party table.
* Always season to your taste and be sure to account for the added saltiness of what you may be serving with it.
* When adding the dressing, I like to start with pouring in half of the dressing, mixing and then adding more a little at a time as added insurance to not overdress it (some batches absorb more dressing than others).

I hope you’ll put this one in your permanent recipe file and vary it according to what you have available to help take the stress out of entertaining.

Happy Eating!