The social network that celebrates Latin food

Black Bean, Cactus, and Corn Salsa with Queso Fresco

This has been one of my favorites this summer because of all the fresh corn that is available right now! We in New York State are not lucky, like other parts of the country, we can only enjoy fresh corn during the summer. The rest of the year we go back to buying it frozen or in a can, which can be tasty as well, but nothing beats fresh. I did not grow up eating black beans. Pinto beans were the staple in our house, whole, mashed, refried, and my favorite way, with Mexican chorizo! I will admit, that I absolutely love the flavor of black beans, even more than pinto now, ha ha... This is a great way to introduce cactus to friends and family that may have not tried it yet. It's so hearty, that it could even be served as a vegetarian dish, instead of meat.

Ingredients:

2 small cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 ears of fresh corn
1 large jar of cactus, drained and rinsed, and diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 serrano peppers, minced
1 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 3 key limes
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups queso fresco, crumbled
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions:

1. After husking the corn, transfer to a plate and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from microwave and let cool. Dice the red onion first and transfer it to a bowl with just enough cold water to cover and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. This will deflame the onion, as they call it and give them a nice tang from the vinegar. Set aside while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, combine black beans, cactus, red pepper, serrano, cilantro, lime juice, chile limon powder, 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Remove corn form cob and fold into the salsa. Drain the red onions, and add to the salsa. Taste for salt, transfer salsa to a 13x9 dish and top with queso fresco. Serve with tortilla chips. Yields up to 14 servings. Good for a party.

Note: If you wanted to you could also serve this warm by putting it under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts slightly...yum!

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mexican Red Rice
Buñuelos
Chile Relleno with Serrano Shrimp
Tacos al Pastor
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Flank Steak Tacos
Frijoles Borrachos con Chorizo
Buffalo Chicken Flautas
Chile Garlic Shrimp Kabobs
Avocado Fries
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Chayotes
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas

Save this recipe to your HK profile by clicking on the Favorite button below!

Black Bean, Cactus, and Corn Salsa with Queso Fresco

You need to be a member of Hispanic Kitchen to add comments!