Fast and fresh black bean and corn salad with a zippy lime dressing. This is a great summer side dish for all the potlucks, BBQs, block parties, or anytime you want a light and delicious salad.
Table of contents
I’ve got some summertime in a bowl for you today! A bright, fresh black bean corn salad recipe that takes all of 15 minutes to toss together. It’s easy breezy – exactly the way the summer should be, right?
This is a great dish for all the summer goings-on. It’s so easy to make, the flavors are crowd-pleasing, and it goes with all the other summer things like grilled everything. It also doubles as a dip if you add some salty, crunchy tortilla chips.
The stars of this salad show are corn and black beans. For the corn, feel free to use thawed frozen corn or grilled corn on the cob – just slice off the kernels. Other veggies include crisp red bell pepper, green onions, and some fresh cilantro. All together a fresh and delicious side salad for summer.
Ingredients
- Fresh lime juice and zes
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Salt
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Black beans
- Corn kernels (you can use cooked fresh corn or frozen corn that is thawed)
- Diced red bell pepper
- Sliced green onions
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Bonus add-ins: Feel free to add some diced red onion, diced jalapeno, or chopped tomatoes. This black bean salad is very customizable.
How to Make Black Bean Corn Salad
Make the dressing by whisking the lime juice, zest, olive oil, honey, salt, cayenne, and garlic pepper in a small bowl. Or place them all in a jar, secure the lid, and shake to combine.
Put all of the other ingredients in a large bowl, pour the dressing over the top, and toss to coat everything evenly. Chill the salad until you’re ready to serve it.
Some Questions and Answers
For this salad, I recommend one of two ways. You can cut the kernels from the cob and sauté them in some olive oil until crisp-tender. Or, you can grill the corn first and slice off the cooked kernels. Check out how to grill corn from Tastes Better from Scratch if you need some tips!
Nope, just drain and rinse them before adding them to the salad.
It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.
What to Serve it With
The flavors in this corn salad pair perfectly with other Mexican dishes or grilled meats… here are some ideas:
- Serve it as an appetizer – add some tortilla chips along with some salsa and guacamole.
- It’s a nice side for grilled chipotle chicken, steak, and pork chops.
- Or, serve it alongside chicken tacos or add it to burrito bowls and taco bowls.
- You can also bulk this salad up with some cooked rice or quinoa.
- It’s also a great addition to a taco salad.
Add this one to your summer eats list – I think you will love it! You can’t beat a 15 minute prep time and the flavors in this corn salad are delicious. Enjoy!
Happy salad-making,
P.S. Want new recipes delivered to your inbox! Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter 📧
More Easy Salad Recipes
PrintBlack Bean and Corn Salad
Fast and fresh black bean and corn salad with a zippy lime dressing. This is a great summer side dish for all the potlucks, BBQs, block parties, or anytime you want a light and delicious salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- Zest of one lime
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Salad
- 2 (15-ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Place all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine, set aside.
- Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again. Refrigerate the salad until you’re ready to serve it.
Nutrition
- Calories: 257
- Sugar: 5.1g
- Sodium: 704.9mg
- Fat: 14.8g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27.1g
- Fiber: 8.4g
- Protein: 7.6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: black bean and corn salad, black bean salad, corn salad
Sue says
Made this for two vegan visitors and they LOVED it!!
★★★★★
April Anderson says
Oh, that’s great – so glad it was a hit!