Spice up that old macaroni salad with this fantastically delicious one. Freshly grilled corn, tomatoes, black olives, green and red onions make this a great salad, but the dressing of salsa, mayo, sour cream, garlic and seasonings really put it over the t
1 lb. elbow macaroni
vegetable oil, for grill
2 fresh ears corn, husks and silk removed
15 oz. can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. chopped black olives
6 Roma or 2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
chopped cilantro, if desired
Dressing:
1 c. jarred salsa, your favorite
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. cumin
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly squeezed juice from 2 limes
Salad:
Cook pasta in well salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain; cool.
While pasta is cooking; heat an indoor or outdoor grill; brush with oil. (If you don't have a grill, brown the corn kernels in a hot skillet.) Cook the ears of corn, turning, until browned and cooked through. Carefully cut the kernels off the cobs.
Put corn in a big bowl with the black beans, olives, tomatoes, green and red onions and cilantro, if using; toss to combine.
Dressing:
In a smaller bowl, stir together salsa, sour cream, mayonnaise, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Pour dressing over the salad until coated, reserving some dressing; toss until coated. Taste; adjust seasoning. Pour remaining dressing on, if needed and toss again.
Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours.
Serve chilled.
12 servings.