Confetti Rice and Bean Salad

Sofia graduated. My baby graduated from high school and I was there and I cried for the entire ceremony and Eduardo handed me tissues and I used seventeen of them and I am not embarrassed because graduation is the one event where crying is not only acceptable but required, and anyone who does not cry at their child graduation has a heart made of something that is not heart.

She walked across the stage in her cap and gown and they said her name — Sofia Delgado-Ortiz — and I screamed. I SCREAMED in a gymnasium full of five hundred people. I screamed WEPA and everyone around me turned to look and Eduardo put his face in his hands and I did not care because my daughter name was said out loud in a room full of people and that name carries the weight of two families and an island and three generations of women who cooked their way to this moment. Wepa, mi amor. Wepa forever.

The dinner was everything. EVERYTHING. I cooked for two days. Pernil — twenty-four-hour marinade, six-hour roast, perfect skin. Arroz con gandules. Tostones. Ensalada de coditos. Bacalaitos — the codfish fritters Sofia loved at six, the ones I told you about. When I put the bacalaitos on the table, Sofia looked at them and said, Mami, you remembered. I said, Mija, I remember everything. She cried. I cried. Eduardo left the room. Rosa cried. David pretended he was not crying while clearly crying. Miguel Jr. and Jenny were crying. We were a family of criers standing around a platter of codfish fritters and it was the most beautiful moment of my life.

Twenty people at the table. Family, neighbors, church friends, Patricia from next door with a bottle of wine. The food was gone in an hour. The coquito lasted until midnight. David and I cooked together again, side by side, and he made a dessert — a deconstructed flan situation that I found both delicious and unnecessarily complicated but I said nothing because this was Sofia night, not a night for culinary debate.

Mami called from Bayamon during the party. We put her on speaker. She said, Sofia, I am proud of you. You are a Delgado woman. Delgado women do not stop at high school. You go forward. Always forward. Sofia said, I will, Abuela. Mami said, Now eat something. You look thin. Sofia was eating bacalaitos while she said this. She is not thin. But grandmothers and thinness is a universal concern that transcends geography. My baby graduated. My table was full. The food was good. Next chapter, mi amor. Next chapter.

After two days of cooking pernil and rolling bacalaitos and stirring arroz con gandules, I realized the one thing my graduation table needed was something fresh and bright — a side dish with as much color and joy as that gymnasium full of screaming, crying, proud families. This confetti rice and bean salad is what I’ll be making for every celebration from now on, because when your table is already full of love, you just need something cool and crunchy to balance it all out.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups long-grain white rice, cooked and cooled
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned and drained)
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook the rice. Prepare rice according to package directions. Spread on a sheet pan and let cool completely, or use leftover rice from the fridge.
Prep the vegetables. Dice the bell peppers and red onion. Mince the jalapeño if using. Chop the cilantro.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until combined.
Combine everything. In a large bowl, add the cooled rice, black beans, kidney beans, corn, bell peppers, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the top and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Confetti Rice and Bean Salad — The Side Dish That Belongs at Every Celebration Table