Fresh Corn, Black Bean & Garbanzo Salad — Perfect for Summer

Okay, so this one's totally a "make it on the fly" situation. It's less a recipe and more a technique — you really just use whatcha got in the pantry and whatever's looking good in the produce bin. Beans. Fresh Corn. Fresh vegetables. A vinaigrette. Make it yours!

Don't make this hard. Make it your own. On the fly. Canned beans are your starting point. Fresh corn? Not 'optional'. Sweet peppers, cucumbers, red onions add to the color, crunch and overall deliciousness.

Pick your beans, pick your veggies. The one non-negotiable for me is sweet peppers — gotta have 'em. But toss in whatever else you've got: snap peas for crunch, halved cherry tomatoes, some celery... go for it.

Here's my one tip: marinate the beans/chickpeas separately from the veggies, each in their own little marinade. It keeps everything fresh, colorful and crunchy. Then just toss it all together right before serving.

Honestly, this salad is perfect for lunch, dinner, cookouts, picnics... whatever. And it holds up beautifully, which is half the reason I love it.

What you'll need:

• One can of black beans, drained and rinsed

• One can of small red beans, drained and rinsed

• One can of garbanzos (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

• 4-6 cups sliced sweet peppers — any color, red/yellow/orange/green, your call

• ½ cup diced red onion

• 1-2 Persian cucumbers, chopped

• 1-2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob

• Vinaigrette of your choice (more on that below)

• ½ cup packed fresh herbs — parsley, basil, oregano, whatever you've got

• Radishes - 2 or 3 big ones, sliced

• Salt and pepper to taste

About that vinaigrette...

My go-to really just depends on what's in the pantry and what I'm 'dressing'. Since I usually have homemade tomato jam sitting around in summer, that's my favorite starting point — it's already sweet, so I just add a splash of vinegar (sweet white balsamic is my favorite) and drizzle in olive oil while I blend it together. Whisk it, use a milk frother, or just throw it in a jar with a tight lid and shake the daylights out of it.

If tomato jam's not your thing, no worries — just keep it light and you'll be fine.

The "textbook" ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid, but honestly that's just too 'oily' for me — too much oil and you lose all the bright, fresh flavor. So I usually start with the acid, stir in something sweet (honey, maple syrup, agave — your call) to just take the 'edge' off, and then start adding oil bit by bit. How much? Like my Tante Jacqueline back in France used to say... "enough." You'll know when it tastes right to you.

I also go heavy on aromatics — minced garlic, shallots, herbs, the works.

And don't skip the emulsifier! My go-to is a little Dijon mustard, about ½ to 1 teaspoon. It keeps the oil and acid from separating, so everything stays nice and blended.

Technique

Open the cans of beans and chickpeas ... dump 'em in a colander. Rinse really well and drain. Put 'em in a bowl and pour some of the vinaigrette on 'em and toss. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to combine the whole salad.

After you've rinsed and thoroughly drained each type of bean, combine them in a bowl and add some of the vinaigrette as a marinade. Toss. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to put it all together. Depending on how long before you combine everything, you'll want to toss 'em occasionally so they get the full marinade treatment.

Prep your veggies. Chop the peppers, mince the onion, cut the kernals off the corn cob. Put all this into another bowl. Combine with more of the vinaigrette. Cover and hold in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

Chop, slice and mince your vegetables ... and toss into a bowl. Add the corn you've sliced off the cob. Add some marinade and just like the beans, cover and refrigerate. Toss occasionally until you combine it all.

When you're ready to put it all together, add any fresh herbs. Serve with some good tortilla chips.

Just before serving, toss it all together. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuces or simply 'as is'.