Greens with Roasted Corn and Pepper Salad

I loved the creamy dressing on this easy salad.  Since it had a southwestern feel to it, I served it alongside the roasted vegetable tamale from Amy's frozen foods, making for a quick weeknight supper!  You could also try it alongside any store-bought vegan burrito, or homemade tacos or burritos.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 5 ounces drained and chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 seeded and finely chopped jalapeno pepper
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (10-ounce) packages Italian-blend salad greens
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1. Place the corn on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and broil for 12 minutes, stirring half way through.  The corn should be lightly browned by the end.

Note: you can roast the corn up to 2 days ahead at this point, and resume the recipe as follows about an hour before serving time.

2. Let cool, then combine the corn kernels in a large bowl with the bell peppers, the green onions, and the jalapeno.  Whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, and salt, and pour over the corn mixture, tossing to coat.  Chill for 1 hour.

3. To serve, divide the greens evenly among 8 salad plates (about 2 cups per person).  Top each serving with about 1/4 cup of the corn mixture, and about 1 teaspoon of the pine nuts.

Note: take care when toasting the pine nuts - you have about a thirty second window between when they are golden and fragrant, and when they start to burn.  The best idea is simply to stand and watch the skillet the whole time, since it only takes about 3 minutes total.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (2 cups salad, 1/4 cup corn mixture, 1 teaspoon pine nuts), Calories 73

Tasting Notes:
It's hard for me to put my finger on why this salad worked so well, but it did.  I'm not usually a radicchio or endive lover (two predominant greens in Italian salad mix) but between the sweet bell pepper, the earthy taste of the roasted corn, and the toasted crunch of the pine nuts, it all blended beautifully.  My only alteration in the future would be to double the corn mixture and decrease the amount of greens, so that the sour cream dressing can coat all the lettuce evenly.

Rating:
3