Barbecued Bean Salad

This salad is delicious when prepared the same day. However, I have found that assembling the recipe a day in advance allows the sauce ingredients to meld and the beans to absorb all those great flavors. Just wait until serving time to add the tortilla chips.

Yields 12 to 16 servings.

For the salad

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper sauce (I used Frank’s Original hot sauce; could use Tabasco)
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

Rinse the beans, and pick over to remove any grit. Place the beans in a large pot, add water to cover by at least 2 inches and let soak overnight. For a same-day option, bring the beans to a boil, cover, remove from the heat and let stand 1 hour.
Drain and rinse the beans, return them to the pot, and fill with fresh water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours or until tender but not mushy. (I like to taste them occasionally to get it right.) Drain the beans, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain well again.
To make the dressing: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine the olive oil, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and red pepper sauce. (Do not add the mustard yet.) Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat, and then whisk in the mustard. Set aside.
To assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked beans, bell peppers, corn, onion, and dressing. Toss to thoroughly coat. Just before serving, fold half of the crumbled chips into the salad, and sprinkle the remaining chips over top.

If not eating right away, cover and refrigerate the salad, adding the chips just before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.