Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 425 g cooked tepary beans, rinsed and drained if canned
- 150 g sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 150 g red bell pepper, diced small
- 60 g red onion, finely diced
- 15 g fresh cilantro, chopped
Cumin Vinaigrette
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 45 ml fresh lime juice
- 5 g ground cumin
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- 5 ml agave nectar
- 3 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 347 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 42 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 303 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 736 mg
- Calcium
- 25 mg
- Iron
- 5.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 320 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 139 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 58 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 12 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 35 mcg
- Water
- 88 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the sweet corn kernels in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn develops golden-brown char spots. Remove from heat and let cool.
In the same hot skillet (heat turned off), add the ground cumin and toss for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Do not burn. Transfer immediately to a mixing bowl.
In the mixing bowl with the cumin, whisk together the lime juice, minced garlic, agave nectar, salt, and black pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify.
Add the cooked tepary beans, charred corn, diced red bell pepper, red onion, and chopped cilantro to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
Let the salad rest at room temperature or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the beans to absorb the dressing flavors.
Chef's Notes
- Tepary beans are native to the Sonoran Desert and have a denser, meatier texture than navy beans. If cooking from dry, soak them overnight and simmer for 60-90 minutes until tender but not mushy.
- Bloom the cumin! Adding raw cumin to a vinaigrette leaves a dusty taste. Briefly heating it in the dry pan unlocks the essential oils.
- This salad is significantly better the next day, making it an ideal meal-prep lunch.
- For extra texture, add toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or diced avocado right before serving.
- If you cannot find tepary beans, small white navy beans or pinquito beans are the closest texturally, though pinto beans work in a pinch.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavors improve after 24 hours. Store in an airtight container.
Troubleshooting
Salad tastes bland
Cause: Beans are very starchy and absorb salt quickly
Fix: Add another pinch of salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice
Prevention: Taste the salad after the resting period and re-season
Dressing is separated
Cause: Oil was added too quickly
Fix: The salad will be tossed anyway, so separation is cosmetic here; just toss well before serving
Prevention: Whisk vigorously while adding oil slowly
Cultural Context
Tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius) have been grown by the indigenous peoples of the Sonoran Desert, particularly the Tohono O'odham nation, for thousands of years. They are renowned for their drought tolerance and high protein content. This salad pairs them with corn and cumin, staples of Southwestern cuisine, celebrating the agricultural heritage of the region.
