Black Bean Salad with Corn – A 10 Minute Recipe
How about a delicious and nutritious salad in just 10 minutes? Try this quick and easy black bean salad with corn, made with just a few pantry ingredients! Drizzled with a tangy lime vinaigrette, and tailored to your spice level, you’ll be amazed at how simple yet flavorful this dish can be. This salad is vegan, has plant based protein, and is perfect for meal planning as it tastes even better the next day!
Want more quick and easy salad recipes? Try my favorite summertime 2-ingredient tomato feta salad, this protein rich kale quinoa salad, or this amazing cherry, feta, and walnut salad.
I have been making this quick and easy recipe for black bean salad with corn and peppers for many years for lots of reasons:
- The flavor. Everyone seems to like this – I think the lime vinaigrette with just a touch of spice sets it apart.
- Basic ingredients. You use basic pantry and fridge ingredients- nothing special that you have to purchase.
- Works in any season. This is a key reason – this is just as good in summer with fresh corn and garden peppers and onions as it is in winter with frozen corn, stored onions, and store bought peppers.
- Can be made ahead. Because it holds so well (and actually tastes even better after sitting awhile), it’s great for meal prepping a week of lunches, taking to a potluck, or just making in advance for guests.
- And of course the fact that it takes just minutes to make!
I love to serve this salad on a bed of lettuce or spinach and combine it with another salad for a vegetarian summer meal or serve it alongside quesadillas or any grilled meat or seafood.
This is another wonderful Pantry Basic Staple – recipes of foods we typically think of as only store bought, but that are actually better tasting, and of course better for you when you make them yourself.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this yummy black bean salad:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Beans: You can soak and cook the beans or use a can of beans – or better yet, use beans from your freezer that you’ve already cooked.
- Corn: You can use frozen or fresh. To use frozen, thaw completely before making salad. To use fresh, cut kernels off of cooked corn on the cob (a great way to use up leftover cobs).
- Vinegar: The recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, though you can use any type you’d like.
- Lime: This salad is also great with lemon zest and juice.
- Pepper: Feel free to add other kinds of peppers along with the sweet red pepper. I’ve used mild anaheim and poblano peppers as well as a chopped jalapeño pepper for more spice.
- Hot Sauce: Definitely leave out or add more, depending on your family’s spice preferences. I like using Tapatio (a little spicier) or Valentina’s (less spicy).
How to Make Black Bean Salad
Here are a few visual instructions and tips for this simple recipe – the full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Make dressing. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a 1-cup glass measure. TIP: Use a whisk between two hands in a back-and-forth motion to combine.
Step 2: Make salad. Add the salad ingredients, except for lettuce and parsley, in a medium bowl. Pour in about half the dressing and stir to coat. If needed, add a bit more dressing (you may not use it all).
Step 4: Adjust seasoning. Taste the salad and add more hot sauce, salt and pepper as needed.
To Serve & Store
Serve: You can serve it as is, but I like to spoon it on a platter lined with chopped lettuce or spinach. Because there’s no green in the salad, a sprinkle of parsley is nice, too, but also totally optional.
Store: You can store just the black bean salad (meaning without lettuce) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
What To Serve This With
- On a bed of lettuce and topped with cooked rotisserie chicken or any leftover protein (pulled pork is great, too).
- Quesadillas. I use this easy quesadilla recipe, BUT use just cheese or substitute cooked, taco seasoned ground turkey or cooked chicken instead of the beans (no need to double up on the beans!).
- Along side grilled or baked chicken and rice. Specifically this soy-sriracha marinated chicken.
- This amazing tomato soup for a soup-and-salad meal.
- Cumin lime slaw and grilled or baked sausages.
- It also makes a great filling for tacos! I’ve spooned it over grilled fish for fish tacos – yummy.
I hope you enjoy this black bean salad – if you make it, be sure to leave a review and rating so I know how you liked it!
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Black Bean Salad with Corn – A 10 Minute Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or other type of vinegar
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
Salad:
- 2 cups black beans use cooked and frozen beans or equivalent canned (1-2 cans)
- 1 ½ cups corn, cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn
- 1 sweet red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- Lettuce or spinach for serving optional
- Chopped parsley for topping optional
Instructions
Make dressing:
- In a small bowl or 1-cup glass measure, combine the olive oil, lime juice, zest, vinegar, and hot sauce. Whisk well.
Make salad:
- In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, peppers, onions, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and stir well, adding more hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. (Note: You may not use all the dressing – save it for another salad tomorrow.)
- Taste to adjust seasoning of hot sauce, salt and pepper.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce or spinach and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Delicious. And just what I needed to use up corn and beans in the freezer
Perfect – I’m so glad you gave this a try, Eva!