Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This make-ahead and festive black bean salad is a huge crowd-pleaser. Perfect for a summer cookout!
This black bean salad recipe was sent to me by one of my readers (thank you, Ellen!). It’s a huge crowd-pleaser and one of the most popular recipes on my website. The salad is ideal for entertaining because you can make it ahead of time — in fact, you should because it gets better and better the longer it sits. Try pairing it with my grilled tequila lime chicken and cornbread for a delicious (and easy!) Southwestern-themed cookout. Or, for an appetizer spread, serve it tortilla chips for scooping and chicken quesadillas.
Table of Contents
“I have made this about 4 times in the last couple of weeks. My family loves it! The flavors and textures come together perfectly!”
What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette
- Black Beans: Form the hearty base of the salad, providing protein and texture.
- Corn: Adds sweetness and crunch and contributes to the salad’s vibrant color.
- Red Peppers: Offer a pop of color and juicy sweetness to the salad.
- Garlic and Shallots: Infuse the salad with aromatic depth of flavor.
- Salt and Cayenne Pepper: Season the salad, balancing flavors and adding a hint of heat.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity of the lime juice and enhances the overall flavor profile of the salad.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Creates a luscious and smooth vinaigrette, binding the ingredients together.
- Lime Zest and Lime Juice: Provide brightness and tanginess, elevating the salad’s flavors.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds a burst of freshness and herbal aroma to the salad.
- Avocados: Contribute creaminess and richness, complementing the other ingredients perfectly. If you’re unsure of the most efficient way to prepare an avocado, see my step-by-step guide on how to cut an avocado.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the corn in boiling salted water.
A few minutes is all it takes — you want it super crisp. Refresh the corn under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Place the corn on a clean dish towel set over a cutting board, then use a serrated knife to cut the kernels of the cobs. (The dish towel both dries the corn and prevents it from bouncing all over the place.)
Next, rinse and drain the black beans.
Combine the corn and black beans with the remaining ingredients, except for the avocado.
Toss and chill until ready to serve.
Before serving, dice the avocado and add to the salad. It’s important to add the avocado at the last minute to keep it from turning brown.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. You may find that it needs a bit more salt or a squirt of lime juice, as the flavors tend to mellow in the fridge.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, I recommend chilling it for a few hours or overnight. If necessary, you can make it up to 1 day ahead. Just hold off on adding the avocado until you’re ready to serve to keep it fresh and vibrant.
This is best with fresh corn but when it’s not in season, you can use canned or frozen corn. Just drain and rinse canned corn before adding and if using frozen, ensure it’s thawed beforehand. You’ll need a total of about 2-1/4 cups of corn kernels for the salad.
To add a kick of heat, you can double the cayenne pepper or add a diced jalapeño. For the jalapeño, adjust the amount based on your preference for spiciness, keeping in mind that the heat of the peppers lies in the seeds and veins.
You May Also Like
Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette
This make-ahead and festive black bean salad is a huge crowd-pleaser. Perfect for a summer cookout!
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 ears fresh cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots, from one medium shallot
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Colavita
- 1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
- 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 2 Hass avocados, chopped
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a more chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 3/4 - 1 cup
- Calories: 464
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 15 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Sodium: 591 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Just have to say.. this is a WONDERFUL recipe! I have made it now five times for five potlucks and tomorrow it will be headed with me to a baby shower.. I have gotten more compliments and been asked for this recipe every time! Best part? After my hands smell like cilantro and lime.. <3
Forgot to say.. I always make it the night before.. it’s great the day of (first time).. but THAT much better the next day 🙂
I’m going to try it with frozen corn. I expect it will lose a little flavor, but we only get local fresh corn for a month or two in the summer.
This salad is so beautiful and refreshing! Didn’t change a thing. It lasted for several days even with the avocado because of the lime juice. Would be great for a pot luck. Any suggestions on making black beans more digestion friendly? I rinsed them very well before putting them in but they still cause problems for some people.
Made this salad countless times over the summer. Used fresh corn , onions and tomatoes from the garden. The only change I made was in the sugar…used barely a tablespoon. It is delicious. Everyone who ate it loved it!
I’ve made this salad several times for family and work functions and it’s always a hit. I like that I can make it (mostly) the day before and just add the avocados right before I serve it. The recipe is simple, easy to follow and delicious!!! The only thing I do different is I roast the red peppers and the corn. It adds a nice flavor to the dish!
This is awesome. I do not like lime but loved this. The combination of flavors is yummy!
Fantastic Video and fantastic recipe. Congratulations on all the new changes to your presentations and your site. We love your recipes and this new phase will be wonderful.
Sincerely,
Pat and Family
Thank you, Pat!
This is the bomb digity!! I can’t get enough of this. I could eat it everyday forever 🙂
I made this salad for a big party along with the Asian Slaw, it looked great and was a hit. I’ll make this one again.
I haven’t made this yet, but it sure is a keeper! I have a similar salad and one of the only differences is the dressing consisted of oil, sugar and vinegar instead of lime juice. But the dressing was heated on the stove until the sugar dissolved, then cooled before adding to the salad. Maybe that helps in preventing the oil from congealing, but I suspect it could have been other factors. I am going to try this with the lime juice and fresh corn this time – this sounds delish!
Yes I did. Now I did substitute the corn for chick peas. And it didn’t do it until around day 3 or 4.
Very odd…the only thing I can think of is that maybe your fridge was really cold. Or if the chick peas weren’t well rinsed, perhaps the thick liquid from the can congealed.
I have trouble with the oil coagulating when I refrigerate. Any suggestions?
Hi Sandra, That is strange…did you use olive oil?
Can I use kidney beans?
I love your pictures with all the ingredients ready and am so jealous of all the lovely stuff you can get in USA.
Hi Judy, I probably wouldn’t use kidney beans. Perhaps you could sub cannellini beans instead?
thanks for this most awesome salad recipe but can you suggest an alternative to the black turtle beans as they’re almost impossible to find in Australia.
Thanks again.
Hi Johanna, Any small bean will work – can you get navy beans or cannellini beans?
Do you think I could freeze the leftovers? Has anyone tried doing that?
Love love love this dish! Made it for the first time for a family BBQ, and OMG everyone was raving about and making me feel so proud! Thank you so very much!
You’re welcome, Jannette. I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it!
Too salty? Can I fix it?
Hi Rhonda, if it is too salty for you, add more olive oil and lime.
Can this recipe be canned
I made 1/2 the recipe, in case I didn’t like it. I wish I doubled the recipe, because it is so tasty and fresh. Thank you for sharing recipe, now I can’t wait to share this salad with family! God bless
I’ve probably made this a half dozen times since coming across the recipe. Served it to many, and everyone raves. I omit the avocado (personal preference) and play around with it every time. I just made a batch for lunch this week – because it’s easy, fresh, and gives a nice lift to my day. Thanks so much for posting, it’s now a staple for me. 🙂
What can I use in place of cilantro? (I am not a fan of cilantro; it tastes like what I imagine dish washing detergent would be like.)
Hi Ella, if you have an aversion to cilantro, you can either leave it out or use Italian parsley.
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS SALAD!
Oh Gosh it is sinfully delicious!
Thank you! Also, a BIG thank you to my lovely
neighbor CARRIE who shared your website with me.
Delicious and very fresh!!
Do you think you can freeze the left overs and eat it at a later time? Would it still taste good?
Hi Katie, Unfortunately this salad does not freeze well. Sorry!
Awesome salad. I halved the recipe and had to make modifications based on what I had or didn’t have on hand. I used a cup of frozen corn (didn’t have fresh), omitted the avocado (didn’t have any), and had to substitute basil for cilantro and finely minced onion for the shallots. Lastly I added a cup of fresh chopped baby spinach. Definite keeper. Thanks!
I have made this. Roast the corn on the grill, then cut it off the cob!!!! DELICIOUS!!!!
How long do you think this would last in the fridge? I’m hoping to make this for a week’s worth of lunches.
Hi Sara, I’d say it keeps well for 3-4 days.
Well i made this tonight so i have yet to present the finalized version to my friends at our bbq tomorrow. It was a fair amt of chopping but i dont mind that. I used white onion instead of shallots, they are hard to find. Also, to my horror, when i opened up my cabinet to get the black beans it turned out i had multiple cans of refried black beans and one can of regular. Yikes! Improvise mode…i used white beans, red beans, chick peas that i toasted with cumin first, and the can of black beans. I tasted it and it is indeed delicious like the other reviwers said. I will not be adding the avacado until tomorrow. The only problem i see is it is a little mushy from the diffeent beans. All black beans would have been best like in the original recipe
Also maybe a jalepeno. Otherwise a great and fresh tasty recipe!
Does semebody know how many calories?
Great recipe! I just made it for a get-together tomorrow evening. It’s chilling in the fridge. I sampled it and it tastes great, but I’ll be good and save it for my friends!
Love it
I made this today and it is amazing! I can’t stop eating it and it hasn’t even had a chance to chill yet! I’m planning to serve it over lettuce as a way to get in more veggies!! Even my picky vegetarian boyfriend likes it, so thanks for helping me get him to eat healthy! 🙂
Amazing. I roasted peppers and corn first. Even better!
We LOVE this salad! I’ve made it several times and the only thing I’ve changed is the name…. we call it Yummy Salad. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
This looks delicious! Could I also add some mozzarella pearls?
Hi Val, I don’t see why not. Enjoy!
I’m not a big fan of avacodo anything I could substitute it for?
Hi Jane, It is totally fine to just leave it out. I’ve made it that way and it is still delicious.
Made this for our Memorial Day BBQ. My boyfriend was digging into it before anybody even showed up and he is NOT a fan of healthy food. Thanks for sharing!
I have been making a version of this for some years now. I don’t use any oil at all as I think the lime juice is sufficient. It has a fresh summer taste I absolutely love. My differences are I use red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers chopped small for a little crunch and a lot of beautiful color and no salt as I think the canned black beans are salty enough. I would suggest that you serve this in a clear glass bowl because it is stunning and will be a hit at any picnic, BBQ or pot luck. I also add two small to medium jalapenos along with good black pepper and a dash of cayenne to give it a little bit of extra heat. I use green onions instead of shallots (just a personal prep cook preference) and I quarter grape tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes as I think they hold up better and they’re just so pretty. When I can get them at the farmers market I love to add yellow grape tomatoes too for another layer of color. I actually do chop up one of my avocados and mix half to three quarters of it into the salad after I’ve mixed all the ingredients together. I generally only make it a few hours in advance and I squeeze the juice of two limes over it and stir it before adding more larger avocado slices around the perimeter of the bowl again for aesthetics. Whereas I know it can be made a day in advance I think making it and then letting it sit at room temperature for an hour or so before serving it is the best way. Right before I put it out I squeeze another half juice from a lime to brighten it up, fanning a couple more fresh green long slices of avocado across the middle and serve it with a big spoon next to a bowl of lightly salted homemade baked corn tortilla chips. Some like to eat it as a salad (my way) and some like to eat it like a salsa. Either way it is fresh and beautiful and a huge hit every time.
Shazaam! This was delish! I whipped it up Saturday and then brought it to the beach for a Father’s Day cook out and it was amazing! Only changes I made were I added a diced tomato. We all went back like 3 times for more. This will for sure be in my summer salad rotation 🙂
*For those of you wondering about the avacado – I added it just before serving yesterday and I just peeked in on it and the avacados are still perfect. Thanks to the lime juice, they haven’t turned. Which is greaat because this mama is about to go to town with the leftovers.
Made this but added chopped mangoes…. SO yummy!!! Thanks for my new summer recipe! 🙂
How much lime zest should be added?
One teaspoon
Thank you so much- it was absolutely delicious!
We just had it, and although it is a lot of chopping and preparing, I have to admit that it is VERY MUCH WORTH IT! Delish! Even my 7-year-old picky eater gobbled it down (after complaining loudly that she didn’t want to have to eat red pepper).
your recipes look amazing! can’t wait to try them
Shut up, this is so good I couldn’t stop eating it. There was no patience for chilling it. I added onion and tomato, too. Dang good. Nice work!
Looks delicious! I think I might try adding cumin, I do love cumin. And maybe green onions, but only if the shallots aren’t enough (I’ve never used shallots before!) thanks for the recipe!
Hi Veronika, Cumin is a great idea…it would work perfectly. And green onions certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Is the corn cooked or raw?
Never mind. I missed reading it in the ingredient list. I’m making it today. Can’t wait to try it!
I’m not a fan of cilantro, is there a substitute for it?
Hi Sara, You can just leave it out or substitute basil.
This looks very yummy, but we are not big red pepper fans in my house. Is there something that can be substitued for the red peppers????
Hi Leslie, you could use more corn or tomatoes or a combination. Hope you enjoy!
This salad is delicious. It is healthy, fresh and summery tasting! I have made it for friends and family, they really love it (most of them at least 😉
Love this recipe! Instantly became a favorite at our house! I reduced the olive oil significantly to suit our more lean recipe profile lifestyle. It was awesome even with very little oil!