Southwest salad sings with corn and avocado

For an easy, light, summertime bean salad, we combined fiber-rich black beans with fresh corn, tomato and avocado.

Toasting the corn in a skillet until golden brown brought out its natural sweetness. Chipotle chile, cilantro, and lime juice provided the perfect Southwestern flavor profile to this salad. Fresh corn is important for the flavor — don’t substitute frozen.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Servings: 4. Start to finish: 15 minutes

2 scallions, sliced thin

3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Salt and pepper

2 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs

1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed

1 tomato, cored and chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½ inch pieces

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Whisk scallions, lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, chipotle, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add corn and ¹/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer corn, beans, and tomato to bowl with dressing and gently toss to coat. Gently fold in avocado and cilantro. Season with pepper to taste and serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 302 calories; 145 calories from fat; 16 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 462 mg sodium; 35 g carbohydrate; 13 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 10 g protein.