Zucchini, Corn and Black Bean Rice

Zucchini, Corn and Black Bean Rice is a great lunch or a fabulous side dish. The fresh corn and zucchini are sweet and juicy and the poblano pepper brings a tiny bit of heat. Black beans give this rice dish some earthiness and make it more filling, while the herbs and lime bring so much freshness and bright notes.

Rice and beans never looked this beautiful, don't you think? If you're looking for a recipe to make your side dish extra special, this is definitely it. There are so many different textures, flavors and vibrant colors going on.

The fresh corn and zucchini are sweet and juicy and the poblano pepper brings a tiny bit of heat. Black beans give this rice dish some earthiness and make it more filling, while the herbs and lime bring so much freshness and bright notes. It is definitely not a boring rice dish and is satisfying all on its own. You can also serve it with a grilled salmon fillet, roasted chicken or even shrimp kebabs; it's so versatile, it will complement many dishes very well.

Here's another great tip for you - most rice dishes are great as leftovers and freeze perfectly. Eat half of it for dinner and freeze the rest for a very easy dinner another night when you're extra busy. I also really enjoy this dish as my lunch the next day, all I do is reheat it in a skillet and it tastes just as fresh as the day it was made. How about making Burrito Bowls or Burritos with the leftovers? Just add some taco meat or grilled chicken and serve it with some shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, shredded cheese and your family will beg you to make this more often. 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped

1 poblano pepper, finely chopped (or ½ green bell pepper)

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small zucchini, thinly julienned

2 ears of corn (or use canned or frozen corn)

1 lime, zest and juice

1 ½ cups long grain rice (I like basmati or jasmine)

2 ¼ cups boiling water

15 oz can of black beans

1-2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 Tablespoon thinly sliced green onion

Instructions:

Before you start cooking the rest of the ingredients, put the water on to boil.

Heat the oil in a large, high sided skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the onion, poblano, and garlic. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the zucchini. I like to thinly julienne the zucchini but you can finely chop it or grate it instead.

Cut the corn off the cob. The corn fresh off the cob tastes so crisp and juicy, but if corn isn't in season, you can definitely use canned or frozen corn instead.

Season with salt again and cook for just 2 minutes or so before adding the corn, rice, lime zest and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Mix everything together until the rice is completely coated in all the other ingredients, about 1 minute.

Add the juice of half the lime. Pour in the boiling water, cover the skillet and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat, turn off the heat.

Let the rice stand, covered, for 5 more minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork and add the black beans and the fresh herbs, mixing gently to warm up the beans.

Taste the rice and add the rest of the lime juice if needed.

The really great thing about rice is that it reheats so well and is a wonderful lunch for the next day and you can even freeze it to be used another time.

To freeze, place it in a freezer ziplock bag or an airtight container and then to serve it again, thaw it and reheat it in a skillet with a splash of oil or a dab of butter. 

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