Southwest Black Bean Salad (Print)

A zesty blend of black beans, sweet corn, peppers, and fresh herbs tossed in lime vinaigrette.

# Components:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1 medium avocado, diced (optional)

→ Lime Vinaigrette

08 - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, corn, diced red and yellow bell peppers, finely chopped red onion, and chopped cilantro. Add diced avocado if desired.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

# Chef Secrets:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes with zero cooking, making it perfect when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.
  • The lime vinaigrette is addictive enough that you'll find yourself making extra just to keep around.
  • It actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have gotten cozy with each other.
02 -
  • Drained canned beans are essential because their cooking liquid will turn your beautiful salad into bean soup if you skip this step.
  • The vinaigrette is forgiving, but under-seasoning it is the biggest mistake people make, so taste as you go and be brave with the salt and lime.
03 -
  • Toast your cumin in a dry pan for 20 seconds before adding it to the vinaigrette if you want the spice to taste deeper and more intentional instead of flat.
  • Double the vinaigrette recipe and keep it in a jar in the fridge, because you'll find yourself pouring it over everything from grain bowls to roasted vegetables all week long.
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