Confetti Salad

Good With: Spicy dishes, Bean dishes, Sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: N/A
Cost: $2.30 per serving
Adapted from a recipe in the Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas

Accumulated canned foods and leftover vegetables can often be saviors on lazy, hungry evenings. A can of almost anything usually costs under a dollar, comes in a recyclable container, and only tastes slightly less good than the real thing – what’s not to love? We nominated our 4 month old can of yellow corn to produce a crunchy, sweet, fresh-tasting salad that’s perfect for summer.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 large servings

1 can corn, drained
1 red pepper, diced
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

1. Drain can of corn and empty into a medium sized mixing bowl.

2. Add red peppers, cilantro, scallions, and feta.

3. Pour olive oil into a separate bowl (or in our case, a handy measuring cup). With a fork or a whisk, briskly stir the oil while slowly adding the balsamic vinegar until combined.

4. Add vinagrette to mixing bowl and toss/stir. This dish may be served at room temperature or chilled.

Yaaaaaargh!: This is a good “leftover” salad, meaning you can pretty much use whatever left over fresh produce you have available – even some fruits, if you’re brave. Same goes with the fresh herbs – if you don’t have cilantro (or don’t like the stuff), feel free to use parsley. If you don’t feel like making your own vinagrette (it only takes about 30 seconds, but this salad is about being lazy), you can definitely use a bottled product, too.