Black bean and corn salad is a simple salad recipe with easy preparation and simple ingredients. For its quick preparation, it is the perfect salad for last-minute entertaining, picnics, or any other family gathering.
Good to know: It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. Also, there are no nuts in this simple black bean salad.
It’s colorful, refreshing and packed with nutrients and protein.
How to make black bean and corn salad
Once you gathered and prepped all the ingredients, place them in a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
Mix everything well. You want to make sure that the seasoning is distributed evenly before you taste it and add more.
The whole prep is extremely fast. If you are quick, you will be done in about 7 minutes, if not then you will need 10 minutes to prepare this black bean salad.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, you can prepare the night before, but I recommend making it on the day of serving for best results!
Serving suggestions:
This black bean and corn salad is perfect for outdoor entertaining. It’s refreshing and tasty and also perfect for vegans or vegetarians or anyone who does not want to eat any meat.
It is a tasty meal as is and can be enjoyed as a light lunch. If you want to make it extra filling, serve it with cooked quinoa or couscous.
As a side, you can serve it with grilled meats, chicken or seafood.
We like it as a topping for tacos, tortillas and if you chop the veggies finely, you can serve it as a dip with tortilla chips or anything you like.
Substitutions & optional add-ons:
Parsley – use cilantro instead.
Lemon – lime will also work great.
Extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest and best for you, but if you don’t have it on hand use regular olive oil instead.
Finely chopped bell pepper (any color) can also be added to the salad.
Corn – the easiest option is using canned sweetcorn. However, you can also use frozen (you will need to cook it first) or grilled corn on the cob.
Onion – red, white or yellow all will work. If you are after a milder onion flavor you can either use less or buy the red variety.
Jalapeno (finely chopped) – is a great addition to this black bean salad with corn. Use only a little if not sure with the level of heat or set aside a portion and add as much as you like allowing others to have without (if needed).
Tomatoes – use any you like or have on hand. I used about 1.5 cups when chopped.
Pro tips for making the best black bean and corn salad
- To dress this black bean salad, you don’t need much. Salt, black pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Once you added these to your salad and tossed it well, taste it and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- I usually start with about 1/8 of a teaspoon of pepper and ¼ teaspoon of salt and add after I did the tasting.
- Here I am using canned black beans, but if you prefer buying dried and cooking them yourself, then go ahead and do it. I am not sure how much you will need though.
- This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled,…
More salad recipes you might like to try:
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans , cooked, drained & rinsed (14-ounces/400-milliliters)
- ⅔ cup sweetcorn , see note 1
- ½ medium onion , minced (⅔ cup)
- 1 small lemon , juice only (2 tablespoons)
- 2 roma tomatoes , see note 3 (1.5 cups)
- a handful of flat-leaf parsley , fresh, finely chopped (¼ cup)
- 1 large avocado , ripe, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , see note 5
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and give everything a good mix.
- Taste it and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Serve right away or chilled.
Notes
- Canned sweetcorn can be substituted with corn on the cob – 1 should be plenty, but you can surely add more. You can use either boiled or grilled! Frozen sweetcorn will also work, but you will need to cook it first.
- Lemon can be substituted with lime.
- You can use any tomatoes you like.
- Parsley can be substituted with fresh cilantro.
- Instead of extra virgin oil, you can use regular olive oil.
- Quantities of all the ingredients can be adjusted to your liking.
- This recipe should serve 6 people when served as a side (when counting with about 2/3 cup per person). You can easily double or triple this recipe if needed.
- More tips and serving suggestions can be found in the post above this recipe card.
Jessica says
I’m always looking for new salads to try when the weather gets warmer, and this black bean and corn salad looks perfect! I think I will be making it all spring and summer long!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
It’s a great salad for summer.
Beth says
Oh wow! This salad looks so tasty and very delicious! My hubby and I are going to really enjoy this! Excited to make this today for part of our lunch!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Enjoy!
Pam says
Sounds so good! Have you ever heard of using raw corn in a salad? I was just introduced to that and loved it! I bet it would be good in this salad too!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Great idea!
Beth says
A delicious hearty salad for summer. So many great flavors. We had it with BBQ chicken.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback!
Michelle says
Loved this salad! Flavors were wonderful — perfect summer salad!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks, Michelle!
Margaret says
This looks delicious. I’m wondering if garbanzo beans would be a good addition to it.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Haven’t tried myself but let us know if you do!