Grilled Corn, Black Bean, and Pickled Red Onion Salad

This recipe came to me in a dream.

Not really, I actually made it up on the spot because I needed a side dish for a dinner I was serving and ended up making something amazing.

Grilled Corn, Black Bean, and Pickled Red Onion Salad

4-5 Ears Of Grilled Corn (Best Grilled Corn Recipe)

2 Cans of Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)

1 Large Red Onion

1 Large Tomato

A Handful of Cilantro (Roughly Chopped)

1 Cup of Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream

The Zest of 2 Limes and Juice of 1

1 Garlic Clove

5 TBSP Sugar

2 tsp of salt

1/2 of Rice Wine Vinegar or White Vinegar

1 Cup of the Hottest Water From the Tap

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

Start with the pickled onions because the longer they sit the better they get. If you haven't pickled much then do not worry it is one of the easiest and most useful skills in the kitchen. Put your salt, sugar, and vinegar in a container. You can adjust quantities of salt and sugar, based on how you like your pickles. I am not into super-sweet pickles and prefer the bite from the vinegar, so I tend to add less sugar and more vinegar or salt. Get your faucet as hot as your possibly can and add a cup of that water to your vinegar and sugar. Stir until everything is dissolved and add your red onion. I like onions cut up and down rather than crosswise for this, but again this is a personal preference. The hot tap water allows for the salt and sugar to dissolve in your water but will not be too hot to cook the veggies being added to it. Make sure that your veggies are fully submerged in the pickling liquid to discourage any unwanted bacteria from growing. I suggest leaving this in the fridge for a few days before using it in this salad, but it is essentially ready to eat. More flavor will develop the more time it sits.

Follow my recipe for the Best Grilled Corn or just grill your own corn how ya like it. Remove the corn from the cob with a knife and set aside in a large to medium bowl.

Drain and rinse your black beans off till they are no longer covered in the can juice. Add these to your bowl with the corn.

Add some of your pickled onions and about a tbsp of the pickling juice to the bowl of corn and black beans. This can now sit in the fridge until ready to serve.

Start working on the cilantro lime cream that goes on top. For this, all you need to do is put the lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro into a small squeeze bottle and add your sour cream or creme fraiche. Feel free to add more water or lime juice to reach your desired consistency.

When ready to serve, medium dice a tomato and mix it into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Use the cilantro-lime crema to top the salad at the end. I did a circle, but get creative! The cream also goes great on tacos, so be sure to try it out because there will be a lot leftover.

This is the perfect side dish to go along with my slow cooker carnitas recipe that is coming soon, so be sure to try it out and add this along for a perfect meal that is easy and fresh.

Most of my recipes are inspired by what I think other people are doing wrong with what I have seen online.