Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian, this gluten-free Bean & Corn Salad is a perfectly satisfying dish for these relentlessly hot days. It can be stand on its own as a colorful evening meal, or you can serve it as an enticing side dish. And oh, how delicious it will be accompanied by a tasty summer soup!

My first choice would be the Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk in Sacred & Delicious: A Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook (page 99.) You may also love some of the summer soups on the Sacred & Delicious Blog including Creamy Zucchini Soup, Cucumber and Coconut Milk Soup, or this yummy Peanut Butter & Cucumber Soup.

Canned / Frozen vs. Fresh Cooked vs. Raw

You may be tempted to open a can of beans, especially during a heatwave like this, when you don’t want to be working at the stove. However, I much prefer beans that were freshly cooked after an eight-hour soak because I find such beans much easier to digest. If you cook beans in an Instant Pot on the chili or pressure cooker setting, the heat will not escape the pot except briefly when you open it to strain the cooked beans. As I’ve mentioned in other blogs, cooking beans in a pressure cooker neutralizes lectins—which is what makes the beans easier to digest.

Nutritionists proclaim that frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh, but Ayurveda disagrees! Freezing foods deadens the prana, the life force. In my opinion fresh corn also tastes better than frozen but suit yourself.

If you’re tempted to use only raw vegetables—I get it! According to Ayurveda, many people can get away with eating raw veggies during the summer because our agni (our digestive fire) is naturally stronger during the hottest months. However, I sauté all of the vegetables for just a few minutes to soften them for ease of digestion, based on Ayurvedic guidance and my own experience eating raw food.

Thanks to My Muse!

I’ve been super busy this year between work and play, which is why you haven’t seen many new recipes from me. Fortunately, I’ve had a few meals with my friend, Rani Margolin, whom I will credit as my current cooking muse. One of her potluck offerings was a big hit at our recent women’s gathering, and her delicious dish inspired my spinoff recipe.

Rani’s version was more corn than beans, but I switched the ratio to make it more of a high-protein entrée. Rani had used some purple hull peas she’d found at the farmer’s market. These are similar to black-eyed peas and were quite lovely with the corn. I used navy beans because that’s what I had in my cupboard, but I think this recipe will work with any kind of bean you may have on hand.

Whatever way you choose to assemble this dish, you will want to add this colorful (and delicious) Bean & Corn Salad to your repertoire of easy and memorable summer meals!

Lisa J. Mitchell