Black Bean and Corn Salad

You can save money by using olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of the bottled Italian vinaigrette dressing called for in the Black Bean and Corn Salad. Use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil for the best flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup couscous

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 tomato, chopped

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (11-ounce) can corn, drained

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1/2 cup bottled low-fat Italian vinaigrette dressing

1/2 tsp hot red pepper sauce

1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add couscous. Stir well. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine black beans, tomato, green onions, Cheddar, parsley, garlic, corn, bell pepper and olives in a medium serving bowl; mix well.

3. Combine Italian dressing, pepper sauce and lime juice in a small bowl; mix well with a fork or whisk.

4. Fluff couscous with a fork to let out steam and separate grains. Add couscous to serving bowl. Pour dressing mixture over salad. Stir gently to combine.