Black Bean, Corn, Zucchini Salad with Cilantro Dressing

I have been in LOVE with cilantro lately. It's a little unfortunate because my husband is one of those people who HATE cilantro.

Or maybe not unfortunate, because it just means MORE for me. 😋

A couple weeks ago, my phone died on me. It's all good a replacement was sent out free of charge. While I was without a phone, I had to old-school it a bit by digging out an actual cookbook. It was difficult to try to follow a recipe from Pinterest when my computer was in a different room.

It was fun to thumb through my few cookbooks to find some new recipes, though. I really should do it more often.

I adapted the following recipe from 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. The original didn't include zucchini, but I love raw zucchini and since I had some in the fridge that needed to be used, I chopped it up and added it in.

It's served cold, so if you're headed to a Memorial Day picnic today, this would be a perfect addition to the usual picnic fare. Plus, it's super quick and easy to throw together.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 2 (15.25 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel sweet corn, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 large zucchini
• 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and green chiles. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine the garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper and pulse to blend. Add the lime juice, water, and coconut oil and process until well blended.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Adjust seasonings as needed.
4. Serve over cold cooked rice or a bed of romaine lettuce.

I enjoyed this over cold rice as well as a bed of romaine lettuce. Both were delicious! I don't think I'd recommend one over the other. Eater's choice. 😉

The original recipe said it only served 4, but those servings seemed HUGE. I think it generously serves 6. More if it's served as a side dish or at a potluck.

Summer is here! Looking for a delicious, cold salad? You'll want to try this one from @EnjoytheCourse.

The dressing looks very creamy because the coconut oil will solidify again if you don't eat this all right away and store it in the fridge for a few days. If you don't like the way it looks, you can use olive oil instead.

Add a little extra color to this salad by using a red bell pepper and/or red onion instead of the yellow ones I used.

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Cilantro - love it or hate it?
Do you eat salads more often in the summertime?

I'm linking up today with Deborah and Sarah for Meatless Mondays.

If you're READY for summer, be sure to stop by tomorrow. I'll be sharing my Summer Sunshine playlist, which I know you're gonna love.