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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!
This black bean salad recipe was sent to me by one of my readers, Ellen Koh. It’s a huge crowd-pleaser and, over the years, it has become one of the most popular recipes on my website. Readers consistently give it rave reviews!
This 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 Muffins for a delicious (and easy!) Southwestern-inspired cookout.
What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette
How To Make Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette
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!
You May Also Like
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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
- 1/4 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
- 1/2 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
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- 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.
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Reviews & Comments
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This salad is truly to die for. When planning my dinner meal I failed to even notice that you were supposed to let it marinate overnight so I forged ahead and served it basically immediately and it was still such a hit! A perfect summer salad that you feel like you could just keep eating! Full of great flavors and fresh ingredients. Would definitely recommend. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
What can you substitute for cilantro?
Hi Elaine, either basil or flat-leaf parsley would work nicely. Enjoy!
Is there a recommended substitute for the cayenne pepper?
Hi SV, It’s fine to just leave it out.
I made this bean salad and it was delicious and enjoyed by all family members. My 87 year old mother raved about it but was wondering if you could recommend a replacement or adjustment for the corn. She has a difficult time digesting corn these days.
Glad it was a hit! You could replace the corn with more black beans and or bell peppers (you could add in a yellow bell pepper for the color contrast). Hope that helps!
My family loved this as a salsa!! Fantastic with tortilla chips!! And to that end, I will add jalapeño next time.
This recipe tastes fresh and delicious! My family loves it! I add extra cilantro and corn because my familia loves these two vegetables and I make a lime vinaigrette using the amounts of oil (I use grape seed oil) and lime recommended, clover flower honey instead of sugar (not an amber honey), a little bit of black pepper, and coriander to taste. I skip the salt. I blend it into a creamy vinaigrette. We store the dressing and salad separately bc the salad lasts throughout the work week. We dress our individual portions as we eat it throughout the week. I think the dressing would also be good with a little bit of jalapeño (minus the seeds if you don’t like it too spicy) blended in. The contrast of the sweet, tart, and heat would be delicious. This salad is gold! Thank you!
Would you recommend using frozen corn if fresh corn is out of season?
Sure – enjoy!
Hi, this was a great recipe. Flavorful, not spicy. I halved the recipe and it turned out delicious. I would definitely make this for a party! Thank you!!
Loved this recipe – beans are not my son’s favorite but served this way was very good. Fresh corn taken from the cob makes all the difference – another favorite from your website.
I adore this salad. Have made it several times, and sent the recipe to a friend. Thanks!
This is the freshest thing to happen to a taco. (Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t eat salsa.) I love having this with carnitas for dinner and then snacking on it the next day with chips. It’s fresh, light, and delicious! Our store was out of corn on the cob so I used frozen corn and skipped the cooking step. I think it came out wonderful.
I love this as a dip for tortilla chips (the whole grain scoops are super yummy and the right chip to dip ratio). It’s summer in a bowl and it is amazing! I also have been known to add Costco cilantro lime shrimp (cut up) to make it a meal!!!
This is hands down one of my all time favorite recipes. I make it all summer with the tequila lime chicken (also amazing!), making enough to have leftovers which I turn into burritos. I follow the recipe pretty closely, except that I usually use less oil than is called for (probably about 1/2 to 2/3 of the listed amount). So grateful to have come across this gem!
Love this salad in the summertime. Great combination of flavors and textures and is light and refreshing. I’ve never gone wrong with salad recipes from Jenn. Thank you.
Delicious salad and liked by everyone. Great side dish for barbeque.
It makes plenty of dressing and it wasn’t necessary to use it all.
I have made this numerous times. It never disappoints but best to eat within 2 days.
This was so fresh and delicious! I made a huge batch to share with friends and it was hit. Everyone asked for the recipe. Thanks, Jenn, for another awesome recipe!
I made this recipe for lunch because I was tired of my usual mixed green salad with chicken… It’s absolutely delicious, there’s no need to change a thing! I was able to enjoy it even after two full days in the fridge (adding the avocado just before eating, of course). This will become one of my standards!
Loved this receipe. I added 1 tsp cumin and 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes.
Made this for gatherings a few times and it’s always been a hit! The dressing makes it. Easy and delicious and good for you too!
This is the absolute best avacado, corn, bean salsa. No need to look Anywhere else! Perfect balance of tart and sweet and perfect for dipping with chips. I’ve used many of Jenn’s recipes and her recipes always are great. I love this with her grilled tequila chicken. Delish!
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s delicious the only thing I changed was I added Roma tomatoes instead of the red bell pepper.
Absolutely love this recipe — it’s the PERFECT side dish for summer BBQs, as a salad for a light lunch, or even as a dip with big homemade tortilla chips. I made a few small tweaks, based on personal taste: I added 3-4 thinly sliced celery stalks for extra crunch and 1 jalapeno that’s been seeded, cored, and diced for a bit of spice. Other than that, this recipe is perfection! I make this at least 2-3 times a month in the summer, and it’s become so popular in my house that my husband asks to always have a bowl in the fridge for snacking.
We LOVE this recipe! I have made this so many times over the last couple of months and referred all of my sisters (and a brother) to this site. We like to mix it with quinoa and top it on fish tacos. Also, I substitute the fresh corn with (2) canned for a faster prep time. So Good 😊
Best go to side dish to take to any BBQ. Was awesome with just chips, but also eaten alone… by the spoonful. I use extra lime bc I’m a sucker for limes. And I have boiled the corn then grilled it after as well. One of my husbands favorite things for ME to bring to gatherings or for him to snack at home.
Anyone used canned corn?
Sure did and it was fine.
This another one of my go-to Once Upon A Chef recipes. I make this for company and often take it to Super Bowl parties, Memorial Day and July Fourth gatherings. I use a 10-oz bag of thawed frozen corn to keep things simple on myself. I often make this the night before and add the avocados just before serving. This is tasty way to eat a variety of plant-based foods to balance out the less healthy food at parties.
This is one of our staple dishes for our annual family beach vacation. Great as a side dish or as a dip for tortilla chips. By the way love the cookbook, it is displayed on a stand in my kitchen.
This salad is delicious! It is a perfect compliment to many meals. We’ve enjoyed it at the lake and brought it to a potluck- several moms asked about the recipe. The combination of the fresh vegetables and crisp corn is delicious. Thanks for this great recipe!
This salad is always a hit in my summer BBQs. It’s colorful and fun to eat with all the different textures. The flavor is fresh and bright. My family even eats it like a salsa with chips. The prep is definitely a bit of work with all the cutting and chopping but the end product is worth it.
Love it! This is a staple in our house for lunch.
I have made this salad many times and have shared it with friends and family who LOVE it as much as I cook the corn in the microwave which makes it even easier! Leave corn in the husk and microwave 2-3 ears at a time. Depending on the size of the ears it could take up to 14 minutes to cook. Let the ears rest in the microwave when done cooking. They are ultra hot! I have left them up to 15 minutes and they were still warm. Cut off an inch to an inch and a half from the bottom of ear ear.. The husk and silks will slip right off the ears. Easy-peasy!
Thanks for making and sharing your recipe for a wonderful salad Jen. I have made many of your recipes and love them all. I continue to look for more too.
This is a family favorite! I like to make it ahead except the avocados. So yummy, especially on hot summer days. My hubby uses kidney beans when he makes it, but I’m a fan of the black beans.
This is a year round staple in our home! Fresh, delicious, and filling.
A friend loved it so much that she requested that I make it for her baby shower!
Thank you for another great recipe, Jenn!
I have made this for multiple pot lucks, and it is a winner (add avocado just before serving). I love the intense lime flavor from the zest!
This is a family favorite and my teen even asks for it. That by itself is remarkable since she is not an avocado eater except in this recipe. It is perfect as a side dish or but I also like using it served with tortilla chips. I can’t think of anything to improve this recipe.
Great salad, easy to make, healthy and it looks great. The only change I made was to cut the sugar by half, next time I will leave it out altogether.
This is a follow up comment. The ladies at the lunch loved the salad and the hostess quietly asked if she could keep the small amount of leftover. So no breakfast for me tomorrow. If anyone is on the fence about making this try it. This time I used less oil and preferred it.
I am making this for a summer ladies lunch. Today was the trial run. I have 2 questions. 1. Do I have to share it? 2. May I have any leftover for breakfast?
My only change was to use lemons because limes are out of season and too spendy. This was very simple to make and absolutely delicious.
LOL – hope everyone enjoys it as much as you did! 🙂