Bean, tomato, sweet pepper and corn salad
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes (assuming beans are cooked while vegetables are roasting)
Keywords: side gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegetarian vegan beans tomatoes sweet peppers corn
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 1/2 pound / 225 grams Coco Nero beans in the pod, about 4 ounces / 113 g shelled
- 1 cup / 240 ml water
- 1/4 small onion, halved
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 ounces / 85 grams roasted sweet peppers or bell peppers (recipe below)
- 3 ounces / 85 grams roasted sweet corn (recipe below)
- 4 ounces / 113 grams tomatoes, slicing or small heirlooms
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Notes: For efficiency's sake, I suggest shelling more beans and freeze what you don't need for future use. Same for sweet peppers and sweet corn: you can use them right away in other dishes or freeze them for future use. Beans sold still in the pod require less water and less cooking time than dry beans.
I recommend roasting
-
at least 2 fresh ears of corn, still in their husks and with silks attached (otherwise wrap them in foil before roasting)
- at least 1/2 pound / 8 ounces / 225 grams sweet peppers (choose a meaty variety)
Cook the beans
Place the beans in a saucepan with the water, onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Bring the water to a lively boil, then turn down the heat and let the beans simmer, covered, until they are tender. Taste them after 20 minutes and estimate if/how much longer they should cook. Check the beans at regular intervals and add some hot water, if needed to keep all the beans moist.
Let the beans cool in their cooking broth (pan uncovered), then remove the aromatics and discard them. Let the beans rest in their broth until ready to use.
Roast the corn
Heat the oven to 450 F / 230 C.
Place the corn on a baking sheet leaving a bit of space between the ears and roast for 20 minutes. Let the ears cool briefly, then remove the husks and silks.
Working in a shallow bowl or dish, stand the corn vertically and use a knife to cut the kernels and scrapings from the cob. (Save the empty cobs to make stock or broth.) Weigh the necessary amount, toss with a fork to separate the kernels, and set aside.
Roast the peppers
Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the peppers 90 or 180 degrees, depending on their width.
Roast for 15 more minutes, then turn the peppers. Repeat after 10 minutes. Continue roasting until they are ready, i.e., when the skin has turned dark and is detaching in places. (The time depends on the type and size of peppers.)
Put the peppers in a sealed container or paper bag to steam, then peel off skin, discard stem and seeds, and the liquid they release. Weigh the necessary amount, dice and set aside.
Assemble the salad
Drain the beans and place them in a small salad bowl. (Set aside the cooking liquid for use in a soup or stew.)
Add the sweet peppers and corn to the beans. Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl.
Scoop the avocado flesh into a ramekin and mash well with the lemon or lime juice. Spoon over the salad and toss.
Add the minced shallot and fresh parsley and toss briefly. Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper on the salad and toss one last time.
Refrigerate the salad an hour or so, then take it out of the refrigerator ahead of serving it so it is not too cold. The salad is best consumed the day it is assembled.
Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator and consume within a day.
