Roasted Corn and Red Bean Salad

The summer is practically here, and one of my favorite things about summer are fresh cold salads. Tomato salad, cucumber salad, arugula salad, cole slaw -- I love it all.

I was recently introduced to a really great salad with roasted corn. I don't think I've ever had roasted corn before. This salad was great - it had crunch, zest, and was easy to recreate in my kitchen. And it's perfect for the Poor Man's budget.

3 ears fresh corn, or 1 package frozen corn
1 can red beans
1 tomato
1/2 an onion
Cilantro
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

First, I roasted the corn in the oven - 400° for about 40 minutes on a baking tray, turning the corn halfway through. Interestingly, I've made this a couple times now, and during roasting the kernels towards the outside start roasting a lot faster than the kernels in the center of the tray. So you'll definitely need to mix the corn around halfway through. Also, I'm sure roasted on the grill is even better, and I definitely suggest you try. But, I don't have a grill, or grilling pan, or a George Foreman, so the oven had to do.

While the corn was roasting, I drained the beans, chopped the tomato, and diced the onion. The onion I threw into a fry pan for just like two or three minutes. I love onions, but I wanted to take the bit out of them a little -- the true star here is the roasted corn, and I didn't want anything overpowering that. You could probably use red onions too, and skip the fry pan.

So, once the corn is done, just combine everything: the corn, beans, onions, tomatoes. I chopped a handful of cilantro, which I LOVE in this because it adds a touch of pepperiness. (Speaking of, I lightly salt-and-peppered this salad, not too much.) Also, the juice of half a lemon really helps to break down and combine all the flavors together.

Now, if you like an extra kick (which I do), I suggest 1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder. I think it really compliments the sweetness of the corn, the freshness of the cilantro, and the zest of the lemon. And there you have it -- a great, healthy summer salad that's also easy on the wallet. Enjoy!