In the summertime, the only things I crave other than burgers (and grilled food in general) are big, delicious, cool and refreshing salads. I’m not talking the kind of “salad” that is some lettuce thrown on a plate and then drowned with ranch dressing. My salads need to be loaded with flavor, and they have to have a little something special to keep me interested.
I also always love a new way to eat one of my favorite foods. I fell head over heels for these black bean burgers at first bite, and since I almost never make the same meal twice, I wanted a new way to enjoy them. I have to say, I like them even better this way!
The bold, spicy burgers balance perfectly with the fresh, crisp lettuce and cucumber, and the sweet tomatoes, peppers, roasted corn and dried cranberries. And that tangy, creamy goat cheese on top? Flavor heaven. Not to mention the sweet and spicy cilantro lime vinaigrette. It is legit the best salad dressing I have ever tasted.
If you don’t do dairy, you could leave the goat cheese off and replace it with avocado. I mean, you should probably just add avocado anyway to all things, but especially if you leave the cheese off. This salad is perfect for summer (or any time), and I even continued to make it with my left over black bean burgers for the entire rest of the week! You can also easily double or triple it if you’re serving a bigger group!
Ingredients
- 2 ears corn
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 heart of romain, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large cucumber, chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 black bean burgers*
- 3 oz goat cheese
- 2 limes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup cilantro
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cumin
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Drizzle corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 until golden and tender, about an hour.
- Prepare the dressing by adding the zest of 1 lime, and the juice of two with all remaining ingredients in your food processor and pulsing until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
- For the salad, gently toss together roasted corn, lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, and cranberries. Transfer to serving dishes. Crumble 1 black bean burger and 1.5 oz goat cheese on top of each salad. Serve with prepared dressing.
Notes
*Store bought/frozen black bean burgers may be used. Cook per package instructions before adding to your salad.
**To keep vegan, avocado may be subbed for goat cheese and agave may be subbed for honey in the dressing.
