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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Delicious and easy recipe! I made with frozen sweetcorn steamed briefly, no sugar, and less oil. Still very tasty.
Sounds so great but I have a concern on the amount of sodium….is there a way to get the same great meal with out so much sodium in the dish???
Hi Jane, Most of the sodium comes from the black beans and the added salt. I would suggest purchasing reduced-sodium black beans and cutting back on the added salt. Hope that helps!
I’ve made the “crack” three times and have cut the olive oil down to 1 T. I’ve also reduced the amount of sugar each time I’ve made it. Neither adjustment has impacted the flavor.
The BEST salad made ever!!!! Why??? Simple …. Everybody just loves it!!!! Grandparents loved it. My kids love it. My husband and I also. All friends and family as well!!!! There is never any leftover! I just substitute the corn with canned sweet corn. Everything else as directed!!!! Thank you so much!!!
Love this!
Favorite bean salad! I made this as directed and it is a favorite in our household! Love it as a side dish or even with some chips.
Excellent salad! The dressing is out of this world delicious. Follow directions as written
I took this salad to a summer fish fry and everyone loved it. It was so light and not buried in oil. Everyone loved the fresh grilled corn.
Hi Jenn!
Your recipes are amazing-thankyou! 2018 is soooo far for the book!
A quick one for this salad: Is it okay to substitute the regular corn with sweet corn? And if I do should I leave out the sugar? I ask because where I live regular corn can be extremely tough. Thanks!
Hi Sarah- so glad you enjoy the recipes! Sure, it’s fine to use sweet corn here. You can keep the amount of sugar the same, but feel free to cut it back a bit and add more to taste if you feel it’s needed. Enjoy!
We love this recipe and make it at least once every couple weeks. I like to add some finely diced serrano, fresno, or jalepeno peppers. I’m also a little more liberal with the lime juice.
Hi! Since fresh corn is out of season, but I don’t want to stop making this salad, what do you recommend I use? Frozen? Canned? Love this recipe and all of your others! Thanks!
Hi Mary, you can use either frozen or canned corn when fresh isn’t available/out of season.
I’ve made this before and like all your recipes, Jenn, it is super. I am wondering, if using frozen corn, would you need to cook it first?
Glad you like this Barb! No need to cook the corn, but I’d let it defrost.
This salad is delicious! It was very quick and easy to put together and the ingredients are in every grocery store. We were asked to bring a Mexican salad to a dinner party the night before and this one did the trick. I highly recommend it!
This is my go-to summer salad. It’s delicious, especially with fresh corn. I do cut the olive oil down to 5 or 6 tbls—otherwise, it’s perfect as written.
This is absolutely delicious!! So many layers of flavors!! Well worth the $20 I spent for the ingredients…bringing it to a tennis luncheon today…saved a little for me at home as I know it will disappear quickly!
Hmmm! Not impressed with this recipe. Have had similar and I was tasty but for some reason I found this one go be tasteless. I’m surprised cause I expected it to be good given the ingredients but there’s something that it lacks, just can’t put my finger on it. I will search for another recipe.
Make and eat it fresh.Tomatoes should never be put in the fridge, they become tasteless. I also add sweet onions to this salad
I have made almost identical salads and there’s always been some cumin and,or, chili powder added. Pretty sure that’s it. Cumin is my favorite mexican spice!
Oh yeah I added some chili powder and ginger too! Yum!
I came upon this when I searched for black bean salad recipes. Fantastic!
I ate this at a party it was by far the best I ever ate so much so I walked around half the party asking everyone who made it just so I could get the recipe Thankyou mary Catherine my hat off to you especial since I don’t like beans or cilantro an this is delicious an one way I will eat both now
This made a huge hit at a family reunion, and it’s now a staple for me when I have a lot of people coming over. You can do it ahead (add the avocado at the last minute) and everybody loves it. This woman is a genius.
Why do you now suggest to cook the corn? I thought it was strange to not cook it but I have now made it twice and it’s great and crunchy! Is it hard on your stomach like one person mentioned? I didn’t notice any issues with mine.
Nate, cooking it makes the corn a bit more tender, but if you enjoy the texture without cooking it, no need to change anything!
This was so good! I took this to the beach and it was perfect!! My boyfriend whom is very picky approves
Absolutely the best ever! My whole family and co-workers love it too!
I made this last year for a neighborhood gathering and it was a hit. I followed the tips in your video which were particularly helpful. Is the video still available? I can no longer find it.
Hi Cheryl, I’m glad everyone enjoyed it! Unfortunately the video is no longer available — I’m sorry!
I made this today with a couple of omissions (cilantro and garlic) and sautéed the shallot since I’m allergic to raw onions and shallots. It was such a big hit! Thanks, Jenn, for giving us such a winner. My picky husband absolutely loved it too even though he was skeptical at first!
This salad looks delightful! I plan to add just a bit of finely chopped jalapeno for some kick, and then also add some small cooked shrimp to make it into a main dish salad. Pinned, and looking forward to making this soon! –G
http://gingerwroot.com
LOVELY
This is the very best corn/bean salad I have ever eaten and it is now requested for family gatherings all summer long. I found it tastes a bit better when I add some ground cumin to the dressing. Don’t spare the dressing! I had to make more the first couple of times I made it-then I learned to double it. I also add yellow bell pepper.
How many limes are needed to get the 6 tablespoons (the original recipe amount)?
It’s been a while since I’ve made this, but I think I usually get around 2 tablespoons per lime
just made this for a potluck, DELICIOUS! Will be making this again soon! Used 6 TB spoon oil instead of 9 and didn’t think it was missing anything, otherwise made as is…yum!
I found your recipe while searching for a black bean salad without cumin (which I find sometimes overpowering). Typically I’m not a reviewer but I just MUST thank you. “Veggie Crack” sums it up. I’ve never seen sugar in a black bean salad before but it sure works! Now I have high hopes for your Sausage Lasagne…and I’m of Italian heritage.
This recipe is AMAZING. So tasty, I love to make a big bowl of it and put it over a grilled chicken salad, on top of smoked breasts, or just eat it alone! I would like to know what you consider a serving size? I have been logging my food in a health app and I need to know how much would be considered the standard amount (I know it says 6-8 servings, but that seems like a lot per serving!) Thanks in advance!
Hi MC, so glad you like the salad! Each serving is between 3/4 and 1 cup.
I love this recipe. Despite loving to cook, I have always struggled in the kitchen and have had many failures. This is an incredibly easy, healthy and delicious recipe that my family and friends rave about. Thank you for such a wonderful salad.
my daughter doesn’t like cilantro. Any substitutes besides parsley? Thanks.
Hi Claudia, I think basil would be good too.
Oops, I meant Roma tomatoes!
I am substituting tomato for red peppers. How many Roman tomatoes do I use?
Hi Donna, I’m guessing about 6 — be sure to seed them. Enjoy!
My question is about the avocado. Do you cut it up and add it before you let it sit in the frig for a few hours or overnight even? I would think you’d add it just before putting it on the table but I don’t see anything like that in the directions or in the questions. I don’t want to end up with brown avocados!
Yes Sherry, the avocados should be chopped added right before serving. Hope you enjoy!
Is the corn raw or cooked?
Tim, If you’re cutting corn off the cob, I would steam it first. If you’re using canned or frozen corn, no need to cook!
BBQ the corn husk off drizzled
in olive oil and the flavor is amazing. The browned kernels make it look GREAT!
What seasoning?
Hi Cheryl, The seasonings I’m referring to in the salad are the salt, cayenne pepper and sugar. Hope you enjoy!
This is delicious! So versatile and healthy! For a lighter version I took out the olive oil and sugar and just added a little orange blossom honey. It was great!
How much honey?
How many calories per serving and how big is the serving?
Each serving is approximately 3/4 to 1 cup.
How big is a serving size? 1 cup?
I saw how many servings it makes just not the size of servings.
Thank you.
Each serving is between 3/4 and 1 cup.
How much is a serving? One cup?
Between 3/4 and 1 cup.
This is WONDERFUL. It goes even further if you add chunks of grocery store rotisserie chicken.
this is wonderful thanks
This recipe looks great! I have 2 questions. This recipe says there are 8 servings-what is the serving size-1/2 cup? 3/4 cup? It doesn’t specify on the recipe. Also, looking at the carb information, 52 g for a serving? That is a whole lot! As a mom of a Type 1 diabetic, I look at carbs all the time! This seems awfully high for something that is nutritionally sound! I realize corn is high in carbs, but 52 seems high to me. Thanks for looking and answering my questions! I will be trying this!
Hi Danielle, I started adding nutritional information to the site after many of the recipes were already entered, so I am guesstimating the serving sizes. That said, I think a serving here would be between 3/4 and 1 cup each. And the carbs in the nutritional info. are correct. Both the beans and corn are high in carbs, kind of elevating that number. Hope that helps!
Is there no vinaigrette or did I miss a step?
Just the lime juice and EVOO to make the vinaigrette?
Correct!
Lemon or lime juice can easily replace any vinegar.
Its winter so I need to use frozen corn. How many cups is 3 ears of corn? Thank you – this looks delicious! I just found your site and made a couple of things now. Each is 10 stars! You’re turning me into a cook 🙂
Each ear of corn is the equivalent of about 3/4 cup of corn, so I’d suggest approximately 2 1/4 cups for this.
Sorry if this was a question already asked but I read several reviews and didn’t see anything. What is something you would recommend that you can replace the sugar with? Thank you!
Kat, you can leave out the sugar, or replace it with some agave if you have that.
Can you serve with nacho chips?
Any pre-made dressing you would recommend for last minute prep?
Sure Pam, this would be nice with nacho chips (for scooping :). And I think a basic vinaigrette would work for the salad in a pinch.
you can actually cut the oil down in this recipe to less than half and not spoil the flavor at all.
But olive oil is good for you and helps your brain register satiety, and its healthy fats help your body absorb the many vitamins and minerals in the salad, so please don’t cut it down too far. If you’re looking to cut calories/carbs, swap in chopped tomatoes for the corn.
I add halved grape tomatoes to the mix.
I don’t do well with acidic foods, what can I use instead of peppers or tomatoes, it looks delicious!
Hi Vicki, No problem, just add more corn. Enjoy!
This is a very flavorful combination of fresh ingredients that will make anyone say wow. It is super easy to make and sure to impress.