We love this easy black bean corn salad because it is not only delicious, it is so versatile. Toss it with greens for a substantial salad, add it to a quesadilla, combine it with quinoa for a southwest grain salad, or eat it with whole grain chips for a healthy appetizer!
Must-Know Cooking Skills to Level Up your Kitchen Game
To make this recipe even easier, check out these videos to master the basics:
Plus, we’ve got an awesome Knife Skills 101 course to help you slice and dice like a pro!
Culinary Tips for the Best Bean and Corn Salad
Before chopping your veggies, make sure that your cutting board is secure on the counter. Sliding cutting boards are a safety hazard!
Use a sharp chef’s knife to dice the vegetables and chop the cilantro. Using the wrong knife or a dull knife will slow you down!
If you are one of those people that can’t stand the taste of cilantro (i.e. it tastes like soap), feel free to leave it out! The salad will still taste delicious without it. Italian parsley would also make a good substitute.
If you want to save time and/or make a very basic black bean and corn salad, leave out some or all of the extra veggies (avocado, tomato, bell pepper, onion, cilantro). However, keep in mind that you’ll be losing a lot of nutrients, color, flavor, and texture when you do!
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Swap it out for avocado or canola oil. Just skip vegetable oil—it’s not the best pick for heart health!
- Lime Juice: No limes? No problem! Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice will do the trick.
- Garlic: Fresh out? Use ½ teaspoon garlic flakes, ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic, or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- Cumin: Shake things up with ¼ – ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder, chili powder, or paprika. Adjust the spice to your liking!
- Black Beans: Any beans will work, but black-eyed peas or pinto beans make the best stand-ins.
- Cherry Tomatoes: No cherry tomatoes? Just use ½ cup of diced whole tomato.
- Bell Pepper: Any color works, but red is the sweetest of the bunch!
- Red Onion : Swap it for diced yellow onion or shallots for a slightly milder flavor.
We like to buy our spices from the Spice House. They have great quality, variety, and flavor!
Recipe Variations: Make it Your Own!
This recipe is incredibly versatile and can be adjusted to any flavor preference. Feel free to add or remove any ingredients to adjust to your taste!
This is a naturally vegan black bean corn salad recipe, but if you want to add some cheese to this recipe, go for it! Turn this into a corn and black bean salad with feta; the pungency and creaminess of feta pairs well with this recipe.
Equipment Recommendations: The Essentials
No fancy equipment required for this recipe! Just a few kitchen essentials:
- Can opener
- Colander
- Nested mixing bowls – great for mixing, great for storing!
- Cutting board & Chef’s knife – to cook like a chef, of course!
- Citrus juicer – for game changing real lime juice
Want to level up your kitchen game? Check out our Essential Equipment Guide for all the must-have tools!
Are beans and corn healthy?
Absolutely! Beans and corn are a fantastic duo—and everything else in this salad only adds benefits. With fiber-rich beans, heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil, and a colorful mix of veggies, this recipe is a true nutrition powerhouse!
Black Beans
Beans of all varieties contain plant-based protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients promote gut health, decrease the risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and promote a healthy weight. Beans play a significant role in longevity diets around the world.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean Diet. It contains high amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols, which may reduce inflammation.
Colorful Vegetables
Avocados are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats to keep you feeling great!. Tomatoes and bell peppers are loaded with disease-fighting phytonutrients and a powerhouse duo of vitamins A & C. Red onions are rich in soluble fiber and phytonutrients that may help lower disease risk. Eating a rainbow of colors when it comes to vegetables is the key to health!
We love getting our oil and vinegar from Enzo’s Table, and it’s not just because Enzo is the name of Chef V’s oldest son ;).
Dive into our ingredient guide to discover the freshest, tastiest picks for all your recipes—because great ingredients make all the difference! 🌟🍎
Black Bean Corn Salad Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways that you can serve this healthy black bean and corn salad. Eat on its own as a tasty side dish, serve with chips as a black bean and corn salsa, combine with quinoa for a filling black bean grain salad, combine with cheese and tortillas for a plant forward quesadilla, or use as a healthful addition to a taco salad.
Turn this recipe into a complete, plant-forward meal by adding it to our baked tostadas!
Baked Tostadas with Black Bean Corn Salad
Storage Recommendations
How long does black bean salad last? Leftover salad can last for up to five days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but if you plan to store it for more than a couple of days, it’s best to leave out the avocado and add it right before serving or eating. Use the salad in any of the above suggested recipes to use it up faster!
Want more plant-forward recipes? You are in the right place!
Check out these other recipes, and as always, be sure to customize to YOUR taste!
One Pan Mexican Quinoa Skillet
Share the Love – Leave us a Review!
Unlike many other recipe blogs, we actually encourage you to tweak our recipes. Not because they’re in need of change, haha, but because we believe one of the secrets to success in the kitchen is cooking to YOUR taste. Make the recipe, leave us a review, and tell us if you made any changes! We love hearing how you’ve made it your own.
Black Bean Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium lime, juiced (~ 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 15 ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can low-sodium corn, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups frozen, thawed corn)
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ medium bell pepper, diced (~¼ cup)
- ¼ small red onion, diced (~¼ cup)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, garlic, and cumin.
- Add beans, corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro to the bowl. Using a spatula, fold until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ Questions:
Is black bean corn salad healthy?
Yes. Black beans provide plant-based protein and fiber, while corn and fresh vegetables add vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This salad is naturally vegetarian, gluten-free, and can easily fit into a balanced diet.
What can I serve with black bean corn salad?
Can I add avocado to black bean corn salad?
Can I make this salad spicy?
Definitely. Add diced jalapeños, serrano peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce to increase the heat level according to your preference
This Post Has 2 Comments
Love this recipe! I go back to it time and time again. When I’m making for big group I sometimes add agave. It’s perfect for summer but I def reach for this recipe all year long.
So glad to hear that! One of my favorites too 🙂