Black Bean and Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
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Packed with black beans, sweet corn, and a tangy vinaigrette with just the right balance of smoky heat and sweetness, this salad is perfect for a cookout, potluck, or taco night. Bonus: it holds up beautifully in the fridge and makes a fabulous dip, too.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Perhaps the best compliment this salad ever received was from one of my readers, who confessed to me, “I’m having an affair with this salad…please don’t tell anyone.” Another reader told me that she made this salad for a party, and later found one of her guests in her study, printing out copies of the recipe to hand out. It’s just one of those crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipes that everyone loves. Whether I serve it with tequila lime chicken or as a dip with tortilla chips (highly recommend!), the bowl is always empty and the plates are always full.
This recipe is similar to my popular black bean salad. The difference is that this version is dressed in a smoky and sweet chipotle-honey vinaigrette, similar to Chipotle’s honey vinaigrette. I think you will love both variations!
“This recipe is absolutely outstanding! I’ve made it countless times, and it never fails to impress— It’s so delicious that it’s nearly impossible to stop eating!”
What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Fresh corn and Red Bell Pepper: These veggies add sweetness, color, and crunch. Fresh corn is ideal, but frozen or canned corn works in a pinch.
- Red onion: Brings sharp flavor and vibrant color. Soaking it in water first helps mellow the bite.
- Black beans: They help make the salad hearty, creamy, and satisfying. Draining and rinsing them thoroughly washes away excess sodium and gives you better texture and flavor.
- Fresh cilantro: Offers a fresh, herby punch that ties everything together. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, parsley is a good alternative, or you can just omit it.
- Avocado: Adds a creamy, buttery element to the salad—a nice contrast to the crisp corn and bell pepper. Add just before serving to keep it from browning.
- Vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lime juice, and honey: Together, they form the tangy, sweet base of the vinaigrette that brightens up the whole dish.
- Garlic: Adds sharp, savory flavor to the dressing—just toss it right into the blender.
- Ground Cumin and Dried Oregano: Add a warm, earthy flavor and a subtle herbal note that pairs perfectly with the beans and corn.
- Canned chipotle peppers in adobo: These smoked, dried peppers are packed in a rich, smoky tomato sauce and add bold heat and depth to the dressing. You’ll find them in the Latin section of most supermarkets. You won’t need the whole can—save the rest to spice up my baja fish tacos or chipotle chicken quesadillas a try. You can transfer any remaining peppers to a plastic container and store in the fridge for at least a month; freeze for longer storage.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the corn. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the corn, and simmer (covered) for about 10 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then cut the kernels off the cob.
Step 2: Prep the onions. Chop the red onion and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes. A quick soak in cold water makes raw onions taste milder and less pungent—perfect for people who usually pick them out (you can skip this step if you aren’t bothered by raw onion flavor).
Step 3: Make the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a mini food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Step 4: Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the corn, onions, beans, and remaining ingredients except for the avocado. Pour the dressing over top.
Pro Tip: Store canned beans upside down in your pantry. It helps the liquid settle near the top, so when you turn the can right-side-up and open it, the beans slide out more easily, and you’re less likely to have to dig them out from the bottom.
Step 5: Toss and chill. Toss everything together and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight—it’s even better once the flavors meld and the veggies soak up the dressing. Gently fold in the avocado just before serving. Enjoy!
Got leftovers? This black bean and corn salad is also great to keep in the fridge for easy lunches or for giving leftovers a little boost. Here are a few ideas for how to use it:
- Tuck it into tacos or burritos – Add some shredded cheese, avocado, or grilled chicken for a quick meal.
- Serve it over greens – Instant taco salad with a scoop of this on top and a drizzle of ranch or vinaigrette.
- Spoon it over grilled chicken or fish – Adds fresh flavor and a pop of color.
- Stuff it into quesadillas – Mix with cheese and a little hot sauce, then crisp it up in a skillet.
- Top baked sweet potatoes – A hearty, satisfying lunch with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Mix into cooked rice or quinoa – Makes a fast grain bowl with minimal effort.
- Serve it with scrambled eggs or in a breakfast burrito – A great way to use up the last scoop or two.
More Tex-Mex Recipes You’ll Love
Black Bean & Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 (15.5-oz) can black beans
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro, plus a bit more for garnish, if desired
- 1 avocado
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 to 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2 peppers, not 2 cans; use smaller peppers, and if they are all large, use only 1½)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and let cool.
- Meanwhile, place the chopped red onions in a small bowl and cover with water. Let sit about ten minutes, then drain completely in a sieve and set aside.
- Place the beans in a sieve; run under cold water to rinse well. Let drain completely and set aside.
- Holding the cooled corn upright in a large bowl, cut the kernels off the cob in strips. Add the beans, red onion, red bell pepper and cilantro.
- Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor; process until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight.
- Right before serving, slice the avocado in half. Remove the pit; using a butter knife, cut a grid in each half. Holding the avocado halves over the salad, use a spoon to scoop out the diced flesh. Toss the salad gently, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add a squeeze of fresh lime to freshen it up). Garnish with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Serve cold.
Nutrition Information
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.
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This salad is addictive! It’s excellent! I add chicken and romaine when serving it as a main. The Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette is something I always have in the fridge. Every recipe I’ve tried has become a staple in my home. Thank you so much for the easy, healthy recipes!
Oh, and I used canned sweet corn as fresh corn is just not in season in the winter!
Hi! I just use thawed uncooked frozen corn. Does not taste raw and I like the slight bit of texture it adds. Still sweet although uncooked.
OH EM GEE! THIS IS THE BOMB!
Tastes just like chipotle restaurant but better! so fresh and crisp!
Your recipes have made me a big time chef in the house! I love the healthy recipes that have made it much easier for us to eat healthier. I am a busy physician so these simple recipes for me are a god send! I have been eating take out less b/c of your recipes!
I never write recipe reviews but feel the need to with yours!
Thanks so much and please keep posting new recipes!
Served this with your white bean chili and some corn bread that I made into pancakes with a big jar of blackberry honey from one of our friends who raises bees.
Could this all be any better? Holy chipotle tastiness! All of your recipes are on point- tasty, easy to follow, my friends are pretty sure I’m a good cook and I’d happily use anything from your site for dinner with company.
In particular, I love the sauces (like this one) that I’m getting to add to the pantry arsenal. Thank you again!
Always a favorite of the family. Feels good to have a healthy and oh so tasty addition to the meal rotation. This one never fails to deliver!
My family loves this salad. We never grow tired of it.
This is my favorite salad recipe. I make it at least once a week. I usually cook everything from scratch except for beans. I bought organic black beans from Whole Foods for this recipe. I kept the leftover peppers from the can in the fridge for 2 weeks. If you don’t like spicy food go easy on the peppers but I think the salad looses a lot of flavor if you completely omit the peppers in Adobe sauce. These are usually available at most major supermarkets in the Mexican or Latin food isle. I used olive oil and it tasted great. Also, the salad was great the next day
Always when I think in salad, I think in ‘Once upon a chef’ ( Jenn) because everyone of her salads is perfect, I tried all of them, this one in particular is served at my table very often, my family( and I) loves it, never change anything, it is fast and easy to do, delicious and satisfying, a meal by itself.
Was looking for a copy cat recipe for the Starbucks chicken and quinoa salad’s milk chile vinaigrette, and found this one. This one was pretty close, although not the same. It is very delicious though! I substituted the chipotle with ancho chili because I was trying to recreate the Starbucks one, and it turned out still very good.
Fantastic salad! Soaking the raw onions made a big difference – although I did use a sweet onion instead of a red one.