Corn and Black Bean Salad

The other weekend we had some friends over for dinner. I knew I wanted to serve Chicken Enchiladas but I was looking for a side dish. I came across this recipe and thought they would go together perfectly.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions
In a small bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, oil, salt, sugar, pepper, cumin and chili powder. In a medium bowl, stir together black beans, corn and red pepper. Toss with vinegar and oil dressing and garnish with cilantro. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Amanda's Analysis:
I thought this salad was an excellent side for the enchiladas. The dressing adds a nice zing to beans and vegetables, and it's nice to have a healthier side dish to Mexican food than your typical rice or refried beans. My only complaint was that the dressing was a little strong. Next time I think I will use less or try to dilute it some way. I give this salad 5 spoons.

John's Jibba-Jabba:
Way too much balsamic vinegar on this one. It just overpowered every other flavor. I did like the fresh cilantro, chili powder, and cumin flavor combination though and it was much healthier than most Mexican dishes. It was visually pleasing with the yellow corn, black beans, and red peppers. I just would have liked a bit more balance to this dish. A 3 spoon dish.