Southwest Black Bean Salad (Printer-friendly)

A colorful blend of black beans, corn, peppers, and cilantro dressed in lime vinaigrette.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1 medium avocado, diced (optional)

→ Lime Vinaigrette

08 - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, corn, diced red and yellow bell peppers, finely chopped red onion, and chopped cilantro. Add diced avocado if desired.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to ensure even coating of all ingredients.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in literally fifteen minutes with almost zero actual cooking
  • The flavors somehow taste even better after a day in the fridge
  • Its that rare dish that works as a side at a BBQ or a full lunch on its own
02 -
  • The salad tastes noticeably better after thirty minutes in the fridge
  • Wait to add avocado right before serving or it gets brown and sad
  • Extra lime juice fixes almost any flavor problem
03 -
  • Use a microplane for the garlic so it disappears into the dressing
  • Let the vinaigrette sit for five minutes to let the raw garlic mellow out
  • Double the beans if you want it to feel like more of a main dish
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