Black Bean Salad with Corn
This Black Bean Salad with Corn recipe combines cherry tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, red onion and cilantro with an easy, healthy cumin lime dressing.
Perfect for a light vegetarian dinner, colorful side dish or make-ahead lunch!

This super easy and fast black bean salad recipe goes with just about anything!
It’s quick, simple, filling and delicious. 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 homemade healthy meals don’t have to be complicated to be delicious.
A few real food ingredients is all you really need. This is one of those recipes I turn to when I’m short on time. It has very few prep steps & comes together in under 20 minutes.
an easy no-cook dinner
Already-cooked, canned black beans are one of my favorite recipe shortcuts.
They’re such a versatile ingredient, so I’ve always got a can or two in my pantry.
They’re a filling & satisfying addition to this salad but are great in heartier dishes too – like these black bean stuffed sweet potatoes or this black bean & sweet potato chili.
For this recipe – you just drain & rinse them, add any fresh veggies, and whisk up your cumin-lime dressing.
Before you know it, you’ll be sitting down to enjoy this super easy vegetarian dinner!

other ways to use this corn & black bean salad
Weeknight dinner bowls are one of our capsule meal plan go-to’s and we’ve been loving this dressed up as a burrito bowl.
Here’s a few more simple ways you could customize this recipe:
- Make a burrito bowl: serve atop cooked rice or cauliflower 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 salad to grilled meat or fish, or as a main dish salad
- Serve as a dip: You can also serve this salad as an appetizer or dip. Just add chips or crackers and you’re good to go!
- Serve as a make-ahead 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!

recipe modifications & adaptations
- Don’t like cilantro? Substitute flat leaf parsley (or omit it altogether)
- Use raw sweet 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 Cumin Lime Dressing and use it the extra as a salad dressing (or marinade) for another night
I hope you’ll make this black bean salad with corn at home soon.
If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!
The Chef’s Knife I Use
Here’s the chef’s knife (affiliate) I use for all my recipes. A good quality, sharp knife makes quick work of ingredient prep for my recipes. I love how versatile and durable it is!
this recipe is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVeganVegetarian


Black Bean Salad with Corn
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels , (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper, red, yellow, or orange
- 2 tbsp diced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Cumin Lime Dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice , (from 2 limes)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp plus ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp granulated garlic powder
- 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, 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 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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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!