In a large salad bowl, gently toss together the cooked rice, beans, corn, bell pepper, tomato, and green onions. Save the avocado to add after chilling.
Juice and zest the lime. Add the juice to a small bowl along with the olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and garlic, whisking until well combined. Taste and season with salt to your preference.
Add the lime zest to the bowl with the salad ingredients and pour the vinaigrette all over, tossing gently.
Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, gently stir in diced avocado and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Fresh Market Cookbook
Rinse well. Be sure to rinse the black beans well and allow them to strain in a colander while you are prepping the veggies.
Cooked rice. For a time-saver, make the rice the day before and give it the day to chill. You don't want warm rice here.
Add cheese. If you have some cheese in the fridge, why not toss that in too?
Over mixing. Try not to over mix this Sante Fe Salad. You do not want to crush the rice or the black beans.
Picky family members? Try making the rice and beans in the large bowl and turning the rest into a "salad bar" with separate bowls of each vegetable and a carafe of the dressing.