Deck out Christmas tables in festive greens, reds and golds this year by adding a cool and colourful salad to the lunch menu.
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Fresh, crisp, healthy salads are a valuable addition to any dinner table, giving dishes a festive lift without too much fuss.
Be sure to buy the freshest ingredients and combine them to suit your tastes, ensuring the salad has the right balance of flavours and textures.
Take the time to whip up home-made dressings, if possible, which often beat the bottled variety hands down.
Grilled sweet corn salad with black beans and almonds
CAROLINE VELIK
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
■1 cup black beans, soaked overnight
■2 small red onions
■2 limes, juiced
■1 orange, juiced
■3 sweet corn cobs, husks on
■2 eschalots, thinly sliced
■2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
■1 green chilli, finely chopped
■ cup olive oil
■100g smoked almonds, roughly chopped
■400g punnet mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes
■1 avocado, peeled and chopped into large chunks
■Handful coriander leaves, washed and dried
■Handful mint leaves, washed and dried
■Salt and pepper
METHOD
1. Cook beans in plenty of water for about 60 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside. Peel and slice onion thinly. Pour over boiling water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain, then marinate in lime and orange juice for an hour.
2. Heat a barbecue hot plate to high and cook corn in the husk, turning to colour evenly, for 30 minutes. Remove and cool.
3. Peel husks and slice kernels off the cob. Place kernels in a mixing bowl, discard cobs and husks. Fry eschalots until crispy. Drain on paper towel. Drain the sliced red onions, reserving a little juice.
4. Make a dressing with reserved juice, garlic and chilli. Whisk in as much olive oil as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, onions, eschalots, almonds, tomatoes, avocado and herbs to corn kernels with dressing. Mix and serve.