Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette
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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.
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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
- 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
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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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This looks delicious, will definitely be trying it!
I threw this salad together today–delicious!
I use parsley instead of cilantro and honey instead of sugar. Also used another can of kidney beans. It got rave reviews from my family
This salad is wonderful! But I think it calls for a LOT more oil than is necessary. I put only 3 Tbsp, and I think I could have cut down to 2 Tbsp quite easily. Other than that, wow. This recipe is wonderful.
As we were eating some of the leftovers, we also had a bunch of quinoa left over, so my husband tried adding some. It was also very good that way, and adds an extra grain/protein kick.
Instead of olive oil I used zesty lemon wildtree grapeseed oil. Fantastic also added the jalepeno pepper blend (wildtree) instead of cayenne. Was fabulous. And better for you. Also have done with jalepeno grapeseed oil. Adds wonderful flavor!!!
I once had a black bean salad with shoe peg corn tomatoes and cilantro among some ingredients that I can remember.This was at a club meeting of people who owned Miata cars.It was a fabulous recipe that everyone loved.I was only the guest of a guest of a member.the point is I have searched far and wide for this recipe without success.It looks as though I have come across a recipe that will take away any need or desire to look any further for that recipe.This recipe,I am positive will be fabulous anywhere and at anytime.Thank you so much for sharing this and I will most certainly not take away any of the olive oil or anything else.The only thing I would ever substitute is the fresh corn with frozen shoe peg corn only because of the difficulty of fresh corn.Honestly though it is worth it to do the fresh corn ahead and freeze it for the occasion.Good luck to me and anybody else who is clever enough to try this recipe.I do believe that if we follow the original one posted here that we can not be disappointed.Thank You!
I thought this had way to much oil in it. The taste was great. Next time I will cute the oil in half. Thanks for sharing.
If I use sea salt instead of table salt do I have to change the quantity?
Hi Rachel, Sea salt is great…use the same amount.
Whenever I have a potluck, this is my staple and everyone raves about it. I substitute parsley for cilantro (in the I hate cilantro club), and cut the oil in half.
This is my all time fav!!!!
Okay, just have to tell you that it was a huge hit! I didn’t have quite enough red pepper, so I added green onions. As for the avacado, I mixed it in this morning and placed plastic wrap right on top, touching the salad, and it was still bright green at lunchtime. I was asked for the recipe! Thanks tons!
Thanks so much for the quick answer! I’ve been pondering what to do all day. After all the rave reviews I feel fairly confident serving this without having made it before. I can’t see how it won’t be delicious.
You will love it, Katrina — it’s always a crowd pleaser!
This looks great! Want to make it for a luncheon and am wondering if the avacado will turn brown. It will be about 4 hrs before serving. Thanks
Hi Katrina, If you sprinkle it with lime and cover with saran wrap, it might be ok. But if it’s possible to add the avocado at the last minute, I’d do that to be safe.
This is the first recipe I made from Once Upon a Chef and I’ve made it multiple times. It makes a lot – a great side when having people over for dinner!
I have made this recipe more than a few times and I love it so much! It reminds me of warmer weather, something I’ve been craving lately. 🙂 I originally found this recipe through Pinterest, so I featured it on my blog: http://pinterestprojects.blog.com/2013/02/17/black-bean-salad-with-corn-red-peppers-avocado-lime-cilantro-vinaigrette/
Thanks for the great recipe!
I love black bean salad! I’ve been making something similar for years without the avocado. The seasonings I use are cumin, chili powder, garlic and cilantro, along with lime juice and olive oil. I’m bookmarking this so I can try this next time I got a taste for it.
Salad is AMAZING! I had to get the recipe from a friend who made it and I was immediately in love. I took it to a potluck today and there was nothing left. Cut the olive oil down to 3 tbsp with no change in the finished product (I made it the night before and let it sit overnight). YUM!
Any idea what the carb count is? I have a Type 1 diabetic daughter and we always have to count carbs. Thanks!
Sorry, Michele. I am not set up yet to provide nutritional info on my recipes. It is something I’m working on…
I’ve made this numerous times now and it is a HUGE hit. For those of you who want to spice it up a little, I use the fire roasted corn from trader joes. It’s full of amazing flavor and gives this already amazing recipe a little kick.
Thank you Jenn. I will try that.
I am allergic to corn anything else I can use instead? No tomatoes either. Thanks
Hi Leslie, I’d just replace the corn with some yellow or orange bell peppers. The sweetness will be good and the color will be pretty.
Wow! I made this tonight and it was amazing!!,
I make something similar and add dill and basil and an Italian dressing. LOVE the idea of lime in the mix!
OMG! Love this salad! Thanks for sharing…
I am always looking for whole food recipes to pin and share and try with my nutrition group challenges (www.tribasetraining.com/nutrition). I tried this one and loved it and so did a lot of my groups. Thanks!
I made it with the addition of Rotel tomatoes according to another recipe I had and it was great! It is such a friendly recipe, I don’t think you can mess it up.
What if fresh corn isn’t available. It’s not in season here in WI.
Hi Michelle, You can use frozen, but it won’t have the same fresh crispness.
You most certainly can use canned corn! But I really really really recomend you use Shoepeg corn. It is almost white and so tender and sweet and crunchy, even canned
Probably a silly question, but do you cook the corn before adding it? Also, could you make this the day before the event? Thanks. 🙂
Hi Biddy, Yes cook the corn and you can make it in advance…just don’t add the avocado until the last minute or it will turn brown.
Hi there, can I leave the cilantro out? Also, can I replace the black beans with something else? Like edamame? Also, if I can’t find fresh corn can I use canned corn?
Hi Joseline, I’d say yes on the cilantro and edamame, but I wouldn’t use canned corn. Hope that helps!
Corn from the cob is ideal but frozen is a good substitute in the off season. I used a 16 oz bag of frozen corn. I put the corn in frozen and took out the large chunks of ice. You could defrost the corn in the refrigerator ahead of time, whichever works for you. Skip the canned corn because it will leave a metallic taste.
I made this last night for a work potluck and I got several compliments! It was sooo yummy and very easy to put together! I used regular spanish onions instead of shallots and it still tasted great! I will definitely be making this for myself again!
DELICIOUS!!!! I made this tonight and it is so yummy. I cut the recipe in half and only used 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I didn’t realize until I went to make it that I didn’t have any Cayenne Pepper so I substituted with Paprika. Thanks for this recipe I will be sharing!!
I found this recipe on pinterest last spring. I have made it several times. We LOVE it. It is delicious with grilled chicken breast, fish, and flank steak!! We have made it for guests and everyone always raves about it. Even my picky 3 and 6 yr olds clean their plates.
What can I use instead of cilantro?
Hi Michelle, You can either leave it out or use Italian parsley instead.
Jen isn’t Italian parsley cilantro?
Hi Michelle, No, Italian parsley is flat leaf parsley (as opposed to curly parsley). Cilantro does look like parsley but it tastes very different.
I have been making my own version of this for years! I leave out the sugar and oil, add a 4oz can of chopped green chilies, taco sauce or salsa to taste, and 1/2 onion chopped. I call it “Texas Trash” and everyone loves it!
Made it this Friday. The family and my friends LOVED it! Had to make another batch last night. It’s the best bean salad I’ve ever had! I did however use less oil, but it still turned out absolutely delicious! : )
Will be keeping this one!!
I’ve made this a few times now for potlucks and get togethers and it’s enjoyed by all…even the critical foodies.
I love your website and hope you never stop blogging your recipes. Tres bien!
9 tablespoons of olive oil seems like an awful lot – has anyone made it with less? Does it still turn out great?
You will not even know there was that much olive oil in there. We asked the same question but you will never know it is in there.
Hate to sound kitchen ignorant but how do you zest a lime???
Hi Lillian, Here’s a great how-to:
http://www.wikihow.com/Zest-a-Lime
I love this salad. I made it all the time. Sometimes I kick up the pepper for some spice.
Looks wonderful! What could I put in place of sugar to keep right flavor? Want to make this! Thanks!
Hi Barbara, You could try honey, agave or maple syrup…or just leave it out.
This is, without a doubt, my fav salad of all time. My daughter is vegetarian and she loves it too. I serve it at every family gathering.
This salad is so tasty…Had some leftover so I added some bow-tie pasta and took it for lunch the next day. Yum!
We have made this several times for get togethers at work. Always a hit and never have to bring much home.
This is the best black bean salad we’ve ever had, and I make it now once or twice a week for snacks and healthy treats! Thank you!
I love love love this, healthy, and so filling!!!
This is great served with tortilla chips, used as a salsa type dip. Big hit.
I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and finally made it today. It’s wonderful! Thank you!!
I made this for a family gathering and added a can of diced green chili’s. Loved it!!
I tried this at a family bbq! It was delicious. I promptly asked for the recipe and have made it twice since. It is always a hit! I also pinned it on Pinterest!