This black bean and corn salsa is fresh, mildly spicy, and delicious with chips or in a burrito. It's a great way to use fresh corn on the cob, which can be grilled for extra flavor.
I'm all about salsas—salsa verde, pico de gallo, guacamole salsa, and corn salsa! This recipe started as a copycat of the Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Salsa, but I thought it needed a little something extra. So with the addition of chopped onions, tomatoes (I know the TJ salsa is supposed to be tomato free!), black beans, and cilantro, it became something else entirely.
I did keep one of the unique flavors of the Trader Joe's salsa though—the dried coriander. I thought it was strange at first because I usually only use coriander when cooking Indian dishes, but it adds a sweet earthiness that pairs well with the tangy lime and mildly spicy jalapeño.
It's not so strange though because cilantro and coriander come from the same plant, the Coriandrum sativum, and the words are used interchangeably depending on where you are in the world. In the US, cilantro is the leafy herb commonly used in Mexican and Asian cooking, whereas coriander is the seed (similar in size and shape to a mustard seed) that is typically used dried and ground as a seasoning. If you've ever grown cilantro/coriander in your garden and it started to go to seed, you'll know exactly what I mean!
If you're in the UK or another part of the world, you probably know the leafy green herbs as coriander, not cilantro.
The cilantro and coriander (fresh leafy greens and dried and ground coriander seeds, respectively) work together beautifully in the flavor profile of this salsa. Make it a meal with tortilla chips, Jackfruit Tinga, Spanish Rice, and a Tamarind Margarita!
🌽 Ingredients
- Corn (preferably fresh)
- Black beans
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeños
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Dried coriander
- Salt
- Pepper
🔪 Instructions
If using fresh corn, cook the ears of corn until tender using any method, such as steaming, boiling, or grilling.
Let the corn cool, then slice the kernels off the corn husk into a medium sized bowl.
Add the black beans.
Add the tomato, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice, and stir to combine.
Add the coriander, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat all the vegetables and so the pieces are evenly distributed.
Taste and adjust flavors, adding more, lime juice, salt, and pepper if desired.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld, and serve cold.
🔥 Cooking Methods
Depending on time of year, how much time you have, and if you have access to a grill, there are a few different cooking methods to cook your corn to perfection.
Microwave
The microwave method is best for a small amount of corn, up to 3 ears at a time.
Shuck the ears of corn and place in a shallow glass dish partially filled with water. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, then turn the corn, and microwave for an additional 3-4 minutes until the corn is tender and has turned bright yellow.
Boiling
The boiling method is best for cooking a large amount of corn if you're doubling the recipe or want to cook extra corn. A large pot will fit 8-10 ears of corn
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add shucked corn and boil for 4-5 minutes, until tender and bright yellow.
Grilling
Grilling is best to maximize the flavor of the corn. You can cook as many ears of corn will fit on your grill top.
There are many ways to prepare corn for the grill, such as soaking it, keeping the husk on, shucking the corn, or doing a mix of both. I like to simply remove any dried pieces of husk and leave on most of the husk so the corn stays tender with no soaking.
Trim the silk and any dried pieces of the husk off the corn, then grill the corn in the husk over high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Let cool before shucking, then proceed with the recipe.
💭 Tips
- This recipe doubles (and triples, quadruples) well!
- Make sure you're using cilantro (leafy green herb sometimes called coriander depending on your location) AND coriander (the dried and ground seed of the cilantro/coriander plant).
📖 Recipe
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
This black bean and corn salsa is fresh, mildly spicy, and delicious with chips or in a burrito. It's a great way to use fresh corn on the cob, which can be grilled for extra flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn (about 3 ears)
- ½ cup black beans
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- ½ small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 jalapeños, deseeded and chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using fresh corn, cook the ears of corn until tender using any method, such as steaming, boiling, or grilling (see note).
- Let the corn cool, then slice the kernels off the corn husk into a medium sized bowl.
- Add the black beans, tomato, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice, and stir to combine.
- Add the coriander, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat all the vegetables and so the pieces are evenly distributed.
- Taste and adjust flavors, adding more, lime juice, salt, and pepper if desired.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld, and serve cold.
Notes
- You can use fresh, canned, or frozen corn, but I recommend using fresh!
- The recipe doubles (and triples) well.
- Make sure you're using cilantro (leafy green herb sometimes called coriander depending on your location) AND coriander (the dried and ground seed of the cilantro/coriander plant).
- Microwave Instructions (best for 1-3 ears of corn): Shuck the ears of corn and place in a shallow glass dish partially filled with water. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, then turn the corn, and microwave for an additional 3-4 minutes until the corn is tender and has turned bright yellow.
- Boiling Instructions (best for 3-8 ears of corn): Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add shucked corn and boil for 4-5 minutes, until tender and bright yellow.
- Grilling (for best flavor): Trim the silk and any dried pieces of the husk off the corn, then grill the corn in the husk over high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Let cool before shucking, then proceed with the recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: ½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 78Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
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