Black Bean and Rice Salad with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette Recipe
Simple, Versatile, and Oh So Good
I thought I was being very fancy the first time I made rice salad instead of potato salad to bring to a barbecue. I was just out of college, and my palate and knowledge of food were both so limited, I thought this was a real maverick move.
I continue to make rice salad, and to bring it to parties now and then, but I do this because it’s good and versatile, not because I’m trying to be exotic. And just as there are so very many versions of potato salad, riffs on rice salad are endless. Plus, rice salad has the added benefit of being easier to feature as a main course than potato salad, which most of the time serves as a side dish.
Rice pairs particularly well with beans, hot or cold, and beans usually find their way into any rice salad I make. Here’s a recipe where they get equal billing: a Black Bean and Rice Salad Recipe by Catherine Walthers from her trusty book, “Raising the Salad Bar” published by Lake Isle Press.
This recipe works as a side dish, but also makes a nice main course lunch or dinner. It’s just a few simple ingredients with a dressing of fresh chile-lime vinaigrette that gives the whole dish a nice little pop. You can make it even hotter by adding minced serrano or jalapeño. I added some corn…