Black Bean Pasta Salad

The quintessential and almost too easy black bean and corn salad moves uptown here with the addition of whole wheat orzo (cook/cool the pasta before you start) and some sautéed asparagus. All the usual suspects are invited but you’re welcome to add crumbled cotija or grated Cheddar cheese, diced avocados or mangos, or even grilled shrimp or chicken breast chunks (on skewers across the top) should you need a new hot weather meaty entrée. Now that’s something I DO need! Want more servings for your party? This recipe doubles, triples, or even quintuples easily. Want less servings? Cut in half. Recipe adapted gratefully from COOKIE AND KATE.

10 (1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I like Bush’s beans.)
1 cup corn, frozen/thawed or the kernels sliced off from 2 ears grilled
½ cup EACH: diced yellow or orange bell pepper and quartered cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 cup EACH: sautéed asparagus cut into half-inch pieces and cooked whole wheat orzo (You'll need to cook 1/2 cup dry orzo to get a cup of cooked orzo. Follow package directions.)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus extra leaves for garnish
1 mild medium-sized jalapeño minced- no membranes or seeds – or to taste
½ teaspoon lime zest (zest of one lime— zest before juicing)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice-plus a quartered lime for garnish
2 tablespoons EACH: extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar --or to taste
½ teaspoon EACH: kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin—or to taste
3-4 drops Tabasco—or to taste
OPTIONAL GARNISH: sliced green onions, green part only
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese or grated Cheddar, 1 large diced ripe avocado or mango

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the garnishes, which are lime wedges, cilantro leaves, and optional sliced green onions (green parts only). Taste and adjust seasonings including lime juice and red wine vinegar.
Serve right away or chill for two hours before garnishing and serving. Prettiest and tastiest the day it's made, the salad can be made ahead a day if needed. Even if serving the same day, you may want to add tomatoes, avocados, or mangos – if using-- at the last minute. If serving the next day, do freshen the seasonings (salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, etc.) and squeeze in a little more lime or add some red wine vinegar to wake up the flavors. Another option is to do the chopping a day ahead, storing ingredients separately, and then stirring the salad together when it's needed. Store for two-three days in the fridge but do not freeze.

Notes

Cook’s Notes: I like whole wheat pasta for its nutritional value but whole wheat orzo can be hard to find; I had to order it. White orzo will work perfectly well. Rice is another option and will then make this salad Gluten Free. As long as you haven’t added cheese or shrimp, it’s vegan as well, which makes it a very welcome addition to the picnic table.

About the seasonings… I like things just little spicy and find this exactly right. I do not eat hot food. If you’re unsure, add a little of the jalapeño and Tabasco at a time to see what you think. The salad needs a little heat to perk it up. Most jalapeños are not terribly hot, but occasionally there’s one that’ll make a liar out of me. An option is to use minced poblanos or green bell peppers and to limit the heat factor to the drops of Tabasco. You can leave the Tabasco on the table for those with fiery appetites.