In February, we celebrate Valentine’s Day, but there’s another reason to wear red: American Heart Month. In recognition of this important cause, I’m sharing a heart-healthy salad that’ll have your new year off to a delicious and feel-good start.

A heart-healthy diet can include a variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. Eating more colorful foods may also help to boost heart health, as each color contains different antioxidants and phytonutrients.  

This bright, rainbow-colored salad has a combination of heirloom tomatoes, garden-grown jalapeno peppers and fresh lime juice, and comes together quickly. It has all the textures that make a dish sing: crunch from the orange bell pepper, creaminess from the avocado, sweetness from the charred corn and a little heat from the jalapenos. Avocados are packed with healthy fats, and according to the American Heart Association, eating at least one per week may lower the risk of developing heart disease. 

The dressing is made with fresh lime juice, garlic and olive oil, then seasoned with chipotle chile powder for a little kick. One of the reasons I love this dish is because it is so versatile. The salad can be served all by itself on a buffet table, as a topping for roasted fish or grilled chicken, as a side dish, or even alongside salty tortilla chips for dipping.

I hope it will become a mainstay on your table, as it has on mine. The key is to season the salad well with plenty of salt and pepper, and don’t skip tossing the avocados in lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. 

Here’s to a heart-healthy new year, without sacrificing flavor. What’s not to love?

Tex-Mex Corn and Avocado Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn, shucked

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and ½-inch-diced

• ½ cup medium-diced red onion

• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced

• 1 ½ teaspoons grated lime zest

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

• 2 ripe Hass avocados, large-diced

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2–3 sprigs of cilantro, minced

Preparation

Grill the corn for 5 to 7 minutes, until chargrill marks begin to form and kernels are tender. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then cut the kernels off the cob. Place the kernels in a large bowl with the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno peppers. 

In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chipotle chile powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss.

In a separate bowl, gently toss the avocados and lemon juice together, making sure the avocado pieces are well coated. Add the avocados to the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and carefully fold together without breaking up the avocados. Sprinkle again with salt and top with cilantro. 

Serve cold or at room temperature.