Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.

test

RICKMAIL - sign up for our email list From the Kitchen of Chef Rick Bayless

Recipes from Chef Rick Bayless

Three Bean Salad with Grilled Knob Onions, Corn, and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 8 to 10
Three Bean Salad with Grilled Knob Onions, Corn, and Cherry Tomatoes

One day at the farmers market, I was searching for an idea for a cold salad that I could make up ahead when I came upon a table filled with green, yellow and purple string beans.  These beans, along with grilled corn, grilled knob onions, and cherry tomatoes became one of my favorite summer salads this year.  I used Rick's Lime Cilantro Vinegreta recipe to dress the salad since it's light flavors compliment the vegetables without overpowering them.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound fresh string beans (I used green, yellow, and purple)
2 ears fresh corn on the cob, discard the husk and silk
6 knob onions
oil to brush over the corn and onions
8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
Lime-Cilantro Vinegreta
Salt

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium-hot.

Blanch the fresh beans in heavily salted boiling water until tender crisp, about 4 minutes.  Remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Once they're cool, drain them and pat them dry.  Scoop them into a large bowl and add the tomatoes.  Refrigerate while you finish preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Brush the ears of corn and knob onions with oil. Once the grill is hot, place both the corn and onions on the grill and cook until they are tender crisp.  The onions will cook more quickly than the corn.  Remove from the grill and once they have cooled enough to handle, slice up the onions and remove the kernels from the cobs.  Add to the beans and tomatoes and pour on enough dressing to lightly coat the salad.  Toss to combine.  Taste and adjust the salt level to your taste.   Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. 

Testing Note:

One note about using the purple beans - once they're cooked they lose their purple color, but I like the shade of green that they added to the salad. 

Recipes