Black Bean and Corn Salad

This easy black bean and corn salad recipe is one of my favorite summer staples. It's a fantastic side dish you can make ahead of time for a cookout or party. With simple ingredients, it's quick and easy for meal prep. Throw it on some greens for a hearty and satisfying lunch. This black bean corn salad is mild but delicious and can complement various dishes.

A Note About Beans Salads:

Bean salad is such an easy convenient make head meal that it is in weekly rotation, if not more frequently, at our house. I have an ever-growing list of bean salad recipes with different combinations of dressings, fresh herbs, and a variety of beans. Because I have so many different kinds of recipes, I never get old with this simple and satisfying dish. With that said, I think in almost all cases, the bean type could be swapped in each recipe. The dressings, fresh herbs, and other vegetable combinations will work well with all kinds of beans. Here are some of my other bean salad recipes: 3-bean salad, white bean, Black Bean and Garbanzo Bean Salad, Chickpea and Kidney Bean Salad, edamame salad recipe,  kidney bean, and garbanzo bean salad. 

You can serve this black bean corn salad immediately if you're crunched for time, but I swear this dish gets better with time. Ideally, I make it the day before I serve it, but I try to let it marinate for at least an hour. Black Bean and Corn Salad is a wonderful side dish at a barbecue or served over a bed of greens. It holds well in the refrigerator and can be used to top pizza, fill tacos, or be topped with fried eggs.

Ingredient Notes

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Black Beans- I simply love black beans! I use a few cans of black beans rather than fresh black beans for this recipe because they’re so easy and don’t require any cooking in the summer.

Corn- I love it when I can scrape ears of corn for this recipe for the full summer flavor. Otherwise, I use frozen corn. Just give them a zap in the microwave to get the deep chill off them. (30 seconds at a time) I’m not a big fan of canned corn.

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​Learn more about the amazingness of beans and lentils: Black Beans vs. Pinto Beans,  Navy Beans vs. Great Northern Beans, What to do with leftover lentils (15+ ideas), What do Lentils Taste Like? and more Canned Black Bean Recipes.

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Instructions

Start by making the dressing in a large bowl: mix olive oil, honey, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, fresh cilantro, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Rinse the canned black beans thoroughly with cold water.

Dice the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and red onion.

Pour dressing and combine all salad ingredients in the large bowl.

Allow the salad to marinate for at least an hour, preferably overnight, for the best flavor.

Serving Suggestions and Meal Prep

One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it improves with time, making it perfect for make-ahead meals. Store in an airtight container and enjoy this healthy recipe all week long. Here are some ways to serve it:

• With tortilla chips for a Texas caviar/cowboy caviar vibe
• In lettuce wraps
• Over a large slice of juicy tomatoes
• On crusty bread
• With a bowl of peppery arugula for a ready-made salad
• As a topping for pizzas or filling for tacos
• Top with an egg for a southwestern breakfast

Tips, Tricks, and Alterations:

• More Fresh Herbs: The recipe calls for fresh cilantro, but don't shy away from adding fresh parsley or fresh basil.
• Other Onions: Red onion adds a great flavor, but you can use white onions. Soak them in water for 10 minutes to mellow out their bite.
• Change the Kind of Beans: While this is a black bean salad recipe, the honey lime dressing also works well with other beans like garbanzo, kidneys, or pinto beans.
• Add Fresh Veggies: fresh tomatoes, green beans, or even creamy avocado make great additions.
• Vegan Option: use maple syrup or agave instead of honey 
• Vinegar swap: if you don't have rice vinegar, you can use white or apple cider vinegar. Rice vinegar is a little sweeter, so taste and decide if you want to add a little more honey. 

This simple recipe is a big batch of this salad, perfect for a summer staple in your regular rotation. With its vibrant flavors and easy preparation, this black bean corn salad with honey lime dressing will become one of your favorite recipes. Enjoy the perfect summer salad at room temperature.

More recipes featuring black beans:

More salad ideas:

Recipe

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This simple recipe is a big batch of this salad, perfect for a summer staple in your regular rotation. With its vibrant flavors and easy preparation, this black bean corn salad with honey lime dressing will become one of your favorite recipes. Enjoy the perfect summer salad at room temperature.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 2 15.5 oz cans of black beans
• ¼ fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 1 orange bell pepper diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper membrane and seeds removed, diced
• 1 red onion diced
• ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 cup fresh sweet corn or frozen corn

Instructions

 

• Open the cans of beans and place them in a colander. Rinse the beans thoroughly with cold water.
• Dice the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, cilantro leaves, and red onion.
• In a large bowl, mix all the salad ingredients with the dressing.

Notes

Ideally, I would make it the day before I served it, but I try to at least let it marinate for an hour.