10-Minute Black Bean & Corn Salad

Apr 8, 2020 (Last updated Mar 13, 2024) by Hannah Sunderani

10-Minute Black Bean & Corn Salad

Say hello to this super easy black bean and corn salad, tossed in a homemade lime vinaigrette! It’s light and refreshing, crunchy, colourful, wholesome and ready in 10 minutes. It’s the perfect appetizer for a crowd, and a great side salad.

This is a Mexican-inspired salad made with black beans and corn, red onion, red bell pepper, avocado and cilantro, tossed with a lime vinaigrette dressing. As always with my recipes; it’s a healthy and wholesome vegan recipe that doesn’t compromise on taste!

I like to serve this vegan corn salad with tortilla chips for even more crunch and comfort.

All-in-all, this recipe makes for a great salad or appetizer when entertaining friends. Now, let me tell you exactly how to make this black bean with corn salad so you can enjoy it pronto.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

The ingredients for this recipe are fresh and simple:

You will need:

• corn (canned or fresh)
• bell pepper
• cilantro
• onion
• black beans
• avocado

For the vegan corn salad dressing, you’ll need:

• limes
• olive oil
• cayenne pepper flakes
• cumin
• onion powder
• agave
• garlic
• sea salt and pepper

As you can see, the ingredients are simple. The whole recipe is a 10 minute prep time. It’s vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free! It’s definitely one of my favourite vegan salad recipes.

I have given this my newbie cook stamp of approval because it’s an easy recipe. Certainly, anyone can make this vegan corn salad, including beginner cooks. It’s totally intimidation-free.

Tips for this recipe:

What pairs well with black beans

Certainly, there are tons of ways to enjoy black beans. But my favourite black bean recipes are Mexican inspired. Which is why I love this Mexican-inspired black bean with corn salad so much!

It’s a healthy dish that’s light and refreshing, but also feels hearty and wholesome. Black beans are great for adding a little hardiness to a dish.

Enjoy black beans in this recipe, as well as my Mexican-inspired black bean stuffed sweet potatoes, and my fully loaded black bean nachos.  I hope they inspire you to try more black beans in recipes!

Should you use canned or dried black beans in salad

When it comes to black beans; I prefer to use canned. It makes this recipe so easy! Simply grab your can opener, strain, rinse and use.

Of course, you can use dried black beans in this recipe but they must be soaked overnight and then cooked for 1 to 1.5 hours (until soft).

I’m not opposed to cooking black beans from dried, but in my opinion it’s a bit of a process (takes longer than other dried beans like lentils or chickpeas), and it often leaves my house with a pungent black beans smell that lingers for a couple of days.

So, for this reason, I prefer to use canned black beans.

However, if you want to try using dried black beans, Inspired Taste has a great recipe for how to cook black beans from scratch.

And, if you want to speed up cook time cooking dried beans at home, you might wnt to consider getting a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot! It’s certainly my favourite way to cook dried beans from scratch.

Is fresh, frozen or canned corn better in a salad?

The decision is entirely yours!

Fresh corn is crunchy and refreshing, and I encourage you to use it when it’s in season.

When corn is not in season then I like to reach for canned corn or frozen corn to make this recipe. Canned corn has a nice and sweet taste, which is delicious in this recipe.

I don’t usually love using frozen vegetables in recipes as I find them quite waterlogged. However, frozen corn and peas are an exception to this rule. They defrost well for a refreshing vegetable with quality taste.

So, I’ll leave the decision to you! Truth is, you really can’t go wrong with using fresh, frozen or canned corn in this vegan corn salad.

What to replace cilantro with if you’re not a fan

Cilantro is definitely one of those love or hate ingredients! Personally, I LOVE cilantro. The more the better. In fact, if it’s just me and hubby eating then I’ll sometimes double the recommended cilantro in recipes! haha.

But, I certainly have friends and family members that can’t stand cilantro. So, if you too are on team “hate cilantro” then I’d recommend to simply omit the cilantro from this recipe. This vegan corn salad is still very delicious without the cilantro.

Alternatively, you could replace the cilantro with freshly chopped basil leaves. I’ve actually done this a few times when making guacamole and it’s really good! The flavour profile is a little different from your traditional Mexican-inspired flavours, but it’s a nice change.

Storing this black bean salad, and for how long

This black bean with corn salad recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s an easy meal-prep recipe, so that you can enjoy throughout the week.

Now, since we have avocado in the recipe, the shelf life is a little shorter, because avocados brown with exposure to air.

However, if you want this recipe to last longer than 3 days (i.e. 3-5 days), then you can prepare the recipe without the avocado, and toss it in just before serving. This will ensure a fresh tasting salad throughout the week.

What can you serve with Black Bean Salad?

I like to serve this black bean salad alongside tortilla chips for scooping! Enjoy it like a salsa!

Or, you can also enjoy this salad paired alongside sweet potato! It’s a killer combo. My Baked Sweet Potato Wedges are such a good companion to serve with this dish for a well-rounded and filling meal.

But of course, the salad is delicious enough on it’s own for a grain-free salad. Perfect for a light and healthy lunch.

MAKE THIS 10-MINUTE BLACK BEAN CORN SALAD RECIPE WITH ME!

Join me on my YouTube Channel, where I teach you just how easy it is to make this 10-Minute Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe!

Other recipes you might like:

If you’re digging this black bean with corn salad, you might also like:

• Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Fully Loaded Black Bean Nachos
• 10-minute Miso Corn on the Cobb

So there we have it. An ultra simple vegan corn salad recipe that’s easy to throw together. It’s light and refreshing, crunchy and wholesome. I think you’re going to love it as much as we do.

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!

• Summer
• 1-Bowl
• 15 mins or less