10-Minute Corn & Black Bean Salad (No Avocado)
This simple + quick corn and black bean salad combines hearty canned black beans with sweet corn, all tossed together with vibrant, crunchy veggies and an easy honey lime dressing.
A Super Easy Black Bean Corn Salad to Make on Repeat!
This super easy and fast black bean salad with corn goes with just about anything! It’s quick, simple, filling and delicious, and is just the thing to throw together on a weeknight (or really any day you don’t feel like cooking). I’m a big believer that nourishing homemade meals don’t have to be complicated to be delicious, and this quick bean salad is the perfect example. For this quick no-lettuce chopped salad, I opted to skip the avocado since I don’t always have a ripe one on hand, and without avocado this corn and bean salad is so budget friendly! I love serving it as a light lunch, and it also make the easiest side for enchiladas (like my easy chicken enchiladas or enchiladas with ground turkey)!
A few real food ingredients is all you really need for this quick corn salad, and it truly is one of those recipes I turn to when I’m short on time, since it has very few prep steps & comes together in just about 10 minutes. Canned black beans are one of my favorite recipe shortcuts, as they’re such a versatile ingredient, so I’ve always got a can or two in kicking round. Add them to some corn (fresh, frozen-defrosted, or canned all work) and you’ve got yourself a nourishing and delicious meal. Then just whisk up the quick honey lime dressing and pour it over. Done and done!
So Many Ways to Serve It Up
A few simple ways you could customize this corn and black bean salad:
- Make a burrito bowl: serve atop cooked rice along with toppings of your choice such as avocado, sour cream, cheese, salsa, and hot sauce.
- Serve as a side: Also works as a side (I love it with my quick cilantro lime chicken) salad to grilled meat or fish, or as a main dish salad.
- Serve as a dip: If you want to turn this recipe into a dip, I highly recommend my quick black bean + corn dip!
- For lunch: Makes a great make-ahead lunch, and can be stored, covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Add more greens: Serve on top of baby greens or chopped romaine for extra crunch
- Enjoy as a wrap: Use lettuce wraps or tortillas for an easy, refreshing meal.
Tip: Give the dressing about 5 min to marinate with all your fresh ingredients. It’ll get even more flavorful the longer it sits!
Swaps & Subs
- Don’t like cilantro? Substitute flat leaf parsley (or omit it altogether)
- Raw sweet summer corn works well in this recipe. Simply cut the kernels off the cob and add it to the salad. Frozen, defrosted corn will also work well.
- Kidney beans will work in place of the black beans
- You can use apple cider vinegar in place of red wine vinegar
- Double the Honey Lime Dressing and use it the extra as a salad dressing (or marinade) for another night
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVeganVegetarian
10-Minute Corn & Black Bean Salad (No Avocado!)
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen-defrosted
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper, red, yellow, or orange
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Honey Lime Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the black beans, corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro until well combined. Set aside.
- Make the dressing by adding the lime juice, apple cider vinegar, honey salt, cumin, garlic powder, and olive oil in a small mason jar. Shake until well combined. Alternatively, add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the black bean mixture, stirring to combine. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning, adding additional lime juice or salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or store (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Corn: This recipe works equally well with fresh, frozen-defrosted, or caned corn.
- For Vegan: Use maple syrup in place of honey in the dressing.
Made it for dinner
It was delicious!
Judy, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for the rating and review. 🙂
The dressing ingredients call for red wine vinegar, but the instructions call our apple cider vinegar. I went with red wine vinegar.
I also added coriander, freshly ground black pepper and onion powder to the dressing.
Hi Chef Caine, I tested with both vinegars and so must have missed that in publishing the final recipe–as you noted, both work! Fresh ground pepper sounds like a lovely addition. Cheers!
How many people is this supposed to serve?
Kathy, this one should serve about 3-4 as a main dish or 6 as a side. I hope you enjoy!
Delicious refreshing salad thank you for sharing it Robyn and team! Just had to get the cilantro.
I need a similar magic trick for all my farm share asparagus 😆
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! Are you looking for an asparagus salad or just an asparagus recipe? If it’s the later I’m loving this wildly simple chicken asparagus skillet as of late. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I’ll try the skillet recipe thanks!
Yay, I hope you enjoy!
Amazing salad!!! Thank you for sharing!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, Libby. Thanks so much for leaving a review!