By Colette's sophomore art show at BR Magnet, smoked chicken. The summer heat is building the way a roux builds: slowly at first, then all at once, and when it hits, the only response is to keep stirring. Stirring the roux. Stirring the life. Stirring the pot of a family that is four at the table now (sometimes five when Luc comes home, sometimes three when Colette is at a friend\'s), and the stirring adjusts, and the adjustment is the skill, and the skill is: show up with the spoon regardless of how many bowls need filling.
The food this week was good. The company was better. The week was a week — not a milestone, not a crisis, just seven days of waking up and cooking and working and sleeping (six hours most nights now, bless Dr. Tran and the therapy that turned the water off) and being alive in Louisiana in the part of the year where the mosquitoes are back and the AC is straining and the only thing keeping the heat at bay is the cold beer and the knowledge that crawfish season is winding down and deer season is five months away and the calendar is a circle and the circle is the roux and the roux is everything.
The week didn’t call for anything heavy — the heat already handled that. After Colette’s show and the slow crawl toward summer, I wanted something that didn’t ask much of the stove or of me: cool, a little smoky, a little bright, something that could sit on the table alongside whatever else was going and not demand attention. This salad — black beans, crisp greens, and a salsa verde dressing that cuts right through the humidity — was exactly that. It’s the kind of dish that shows up quietly and earns its place anyway.
Southwestern Black Bean and Lettuce Salad with Salsa Verde Dressing
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco
- 1/2 cup crispy tortilla strips
- For the Salsa Verde Dressing:
- 1/2 cup prepared salsa verde (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Whisk together salsa verde, lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and cumin in a small bowl or jar until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust lime or salt as needed. Set aside.
- Prep the salad base. Add chopped romaine to a large salad bowl. Top with black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
- Add avocado and cheese. Scatter diced avocado over the salad, then sprinkle cotija or queso fresco evenly across the top.
- Finish and dress. Add cilantro leaves and tortilla strips. Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat, or serve dressing on the side so the tortilla strips stay crisp.
- Serve immediately. Plate into bowls and serve cold. Pairs well alongside grilled shrimp, smoked chicken, or any protein coming off the grill.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 510mg