Chicken, bean and corn salad

If there’s any recipe in my regular rotation that screams Jersey-fresh, it’s this one.

Garden State tomatoes, corn and bell peppers all make an appearance in this lunch time staple.

And the best part?

I have all three of these ingredients right out my back door!

But if gardening is not your thing, don’t despair.  You can easily pick up these ingredients at any farm market or stand right now.  In no time, you’ll have a filling lunch or light supper that’s easy on the calories.  And it just feels so healthy!

Chicken, bean and corn salad – Serves 1 (feel free to double and triple with abandon)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped (use leftover grilled)
• 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/3 cup canned beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup corn kernels, cooked (again, use leftovers here)
• 1 T lemon or lime juice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• baby spinach or lettuce for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, bell pepper, canned beans, and corn.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and salt to taste.  Pour over chicken mixture.  Toss to coat salad with dressing.

Serve on greens with a dash of freshly-ground black pepper.

I affectionately call this my Leftover Salad because it’s a great way to use up ingredients stashed away in the refrigerator.  Don’t have chicken?  Use leftover steak or pork loin.  Try black beans, cannellini beans, or chick peas for variety.  And the veggies?  Try zucchini, cucumber or carrot ribbons in place of the corn.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Further reading:  Couscous salad with black beans and zucchini