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| Bright and Spicy Bell Salad |
Introduction
Fresh, bright and adaptable- there is something truly irresistible about a remaining vibrant with sounds, not with flowers. spiced with Mexican flavors, The Spicy Bell Salad is perfect for days when you need a to-go meal. The color and texture of dressed skillet corned fiery bell peppers, yellow and green with a mischievous jalapeño, and dressing of the tangy, hot drizzle, is mesmerizing. The flare of the dish complements and brightens a Mexican dinner, and leads your senses to a rush of a vibrant area, full of Mexican markets, street merchants and roadside food stalls.
After a trip to Puebla, I took inspiration from a local vendor and the way they fused blaze and color into one dish. I recreated the dish for dinner and it easily became my favorite dish of the night. It can be scaled, and even meal prepped, or quickly eaten with grilled sides. The Spicy Bell Salad is the perfect way to add a festive flare to a dinner for your guests. The dish is vibrant, comforting, and perfect for a rustic style dinner.
Ingredients
-3 large bell peppers (one red, one yellow, and one green), portioned thinly sliced which will be approximately 600 (grams)/ 1.3 (pounds) in total,
-1 medium red onion, also portioned thinly sliced which will be 120 (grams)/ 4.2 (ounces).
-1-2 sliced and deseeded jalapeños which will weigh 20-40 (grams)/ 0.7-1.4 (ounces) (to taste).
-1 cup (150 grams)/ 5.3 (ounces) of any corn kernels (fresh, grilled and cooled, frozen and thawed, grilled).
-1 can (400 grams)/ 14 (ounces) of black beans (drained and rinsed).
-1 ripe avocado which approximately weighs 150 (grams)/ 5.3 (ounces) diced.
-1/3 cup (45 grams)/ 1.6 (ounces) of fresh cilantro that is chopped.
-2 table spoons/ 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil.
-3 table spoons/ 45 ml of fresh lime juice (which is the juice of about 2 limes).
-1 table spoon/ 15 ml of honey or agave (this can go in to balance the recipe).
-1 teaspoon/ 5 grams of cumin, a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon/ (2 to 4 grams) of chili powder, or smoked,
-salt and ground black pepper to taste,
Preparation Steps
-To prepare the vegetables for this recipe, you will first thinly slice and chop the bell peppers and red onion." Deseed and finely chop the jalapeño (leave the seeds in for extra heat). Add all the diced vegetables into a large bowl for mixing.
-Char or cook the corn.
For corn on the cob fresh from the market, grill or roast them on high heat until they char lightly, then slice the kernels off. For frozen corn, sauté lightly until warm and add slight char. Place the corn into the bowl with the vegetables.
-Rinse and add the beans.
Drain the black beans and rinse them well, then gently stir the beans into the mixture of peppers and corn. This thickens and adds protein to the salad, making it a more filling dish.
-Make the dressing.
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey (if desired), cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Dip a spoon to taste and increase or decrease spices to your comfort.
-Toss and assemble. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and lightly toss to coat. Fold in the diced cilantro, diced avocado, and crumbled cotija or feta if desired.
-Finish and serve. Take a taste and season with more salt, pepper or lime juice if desired.
-Add salt and finish with toasted pepitas or lightly sprinkled Tajín if you are channeling your inner Mexican market. Either serve chilled or at room temp.
Tips & Variations
-To put it together faster and leave you with the Easier Spicy Bell Salad version, skip the charring and use canned sweet corn.
-To do the Authentic Spicy Bell Salad rendition, grill the peppers until blistered for smoky complexity.
-Use black beans or skip and do garbanzo (chickpeas) for a swap.
-To do a vegan approach, skip the cotija and do pepitas or chopped toasted almonds.
-Want more spice on your dish? Toss in the serrano or the spicy hot sauce. If you are making the dish in advance, put the dressing separate or the avocado which saves it from browning. The dressing and the spice of the salad dress it up the most.
Closing
This spicy bell salad captures the cheerful and warm flavors of Mexico during a weekday in a purse. The corn, sweet peppers, and a zesty dressing made it a go to during the hot summer for lunch on the side or eaten alone with the addition of beans or grilled chicken.
It's a wonderful opportunity to share exciting new tastes with people—great for summer picnics, potlucks, or an easy weeknight meal. Did you know that the bell pepper also traveled to Mexico and became a vessel for many flavors? In this case, every bite pays respect to a mosaic of Mexico’s regional flavors. Try this dish, share it with people you care about, and come back for more global recipe additions!