southwestern salsa/salad

I don't really know what to call this. It's so versatile. It's so delicious. I made half a batch yesterday and ate it all, then I made another half batch today that I will probably finish before the day is done.

But let's start from the beginning. One day (yesterday, actually), I wanted to make a salsa with my dangerously ripe avocado. As I dreamed up combinations in my head/rummaged through my pantry and fridge, I realized I had black beans and other favorite ingredients like such as*.  As I looked at the stuff sitting on my counter I realized I could come really close to making my favorite burrito combination at Chipotle which goes like this:

Rice

Black Beans
(sometimes chicken)

Pico de Gallo

Corn Salsa

Cheese

Sour Cream

Guacamole

So instead of doing all that work (I wasn't going to make two kinds of salsa and guac. Really.), I decided I could deconstruct the components up there and just use the main ingredients but combine them all together into one perfect salsa/burrito topping/salad.  Make sense?

  It was perfect. Crunchy, fresh, spicy. I wouldn't recommend eating Cap'n Crunch for breakfast and then eating this for lunch because all the spicy juices get into all the cuts on the roof of your mouth from the Cap'n Crunch. Not super pleasant. Oh, then I did the same thing again today. Cap'n Crunch runs my life, apparently. Oh and not just plain ol' Crunch. Crunch Berries. In case you were wondering why I would let plain ol' Crunch run my life.

I did make a mini burrito out of it, with cheese and sour cream, and it was good. However, I found that I preferred it plain (I ate most of it with a spoon from there on out) because I could taste all the flavors better that way. I also found it to be really delish after a couple of hours in the fridge because the flavors married. They fell in love and they married.

I think this would also be excellent on some tortilla chips, which I might get around to doing if I could just stop eating it straight from the bowl.  You know what else? You can add rice and/or chicken or even couscous or quinoa, and make it into a more complete meal. See? So versatile.

Southwestern Salsa/Salad

Makes about 6 cups

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 can whole kernel corn, drained (or use an ear of fresh sweet corn, which I didn't have)

2 small tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1/2 small red onion, chopped

4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Avocado, diced

Juice from one lime

1 tsp. kosher salt

Mix together all ingredients except avocado, lime and salt. Add avocado, lime juice and salt. Toss.

Serve immediately or let sit in fridge for a few hours. If you are serving it the following day, leave out the avocado and add it just before serving.

 

*referenced from someone who really knows how to put words together.