This is my black bean salad with corn recipe! The combination of ingredients along with the blending of the lime, oil and balsamic vinegar makes this salad perfect for a BBQ or family picnic.
I love all types of salads but this black bean salad really stands out and is a constant staple in our house during the summer and fall months!
It tastes so fresh, healthy and has the balance of ingredients that one taste doesn’t stand out or overwhelm the others. And one of the things I most love about it, is it is so versatile that you can eat it as a side or mix it with some rice and enchilada sauce to make a fun and tasty bowl.
Vary the ingredients
- Don’t like corn? Switch it out with peas
- Like pinto beans better than black beans? You can do that too
- Don’t like purple onions? Omit it
- Love fresh parsley or cilantro? Add it (I usually do add cilantro but didn’t have any on hand)
I’ve made all the variations above and love them all!
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Helpful tips
- If you are using canned beans like I do here, make sure to thoroughly rinse and drain them
- When you cook the corn, don’t salt the water
- If you use fresh corn, try to keep the kernels intact as much as you can
- Use a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste, I use a scant ¼ teaspoon salt and a few shakes of pepper
- As the salad sits, the flavors meld and become more delicious – it’s great leftover
How to make black bean salad
Step one
Gather the ingredients – tomatoes, black beans, purple onion and corn.
Step two
Cook 1.5 cups of frozen corn (according to the directions) in some boiling water so it can cool off before adding the corn to the salad. You can use fresh corn if you like, one to two ears should be ample.
Step three
Open 2 cans of black beans, rinse and drain them before adding to a medium sized mixing bowl.
Step four
Cut up a tomato into little chunks, dice ½ of a small purple onion, squeeze a few limes, measure out the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Step five
Add each of the ingredient above to the bowl, ending with the oil, vinegar, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Mix it all together with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the black bean salad to a serving bowl!
Close up of the big bowl.
Christopher wants some of the salad NOW so I spoon it out into some serving bowls to stop his whining. 😉
Doesn’t that look yummy?
I hope you enjoyed this black bean salad with corn recipe.
What is one of the staples that you always have in your house? Leave me a comment as I’d love to know.
Other popular salad recipes
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this with recipe or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Black Bean Salad with Corn
Ingredients
- 30 ounces black beans 2 cans, rinsed and drained
- 4 tomatoes small to medium, diced
- 1.5 cup frozen corn cooked and cooled
- ½ purple onion diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/16 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 ounces lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Boil water for the corn, once done, set in the corn in the refrigerator for faster cooling
- Place rinsed and drained beans in a medium mixing bowl
- Add tomatoes, onion, corn, salt, pepper, parsley, lime juice, oil and balsamic vinegar and mix with a spatula until it is incorporated
- Transfer to a serving bowl, it makes a very pretty dish
- Serve
- Eat
- Enjoy
Equipment
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- If you are using canned beans like I do here, make sure to thoroughly rinse and drain them
- When you cook the corn, don’t salt the water
- If you use fresh corn, try to keep the kernels intact as much as you can
- Use a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste, I use a scant ¼ teaspoon salt and a few shakes of pepper
- As the salad sits, the flavors meld and become more delicious – it’s great leftover
Nutrition
Originally published August of 2016.
Karly
“Salad of Goodness”… you really couldn’t be any more accurate with that one! Healthy, delicious and perfect for picnics or family BBQs! Yum!
Elaine
Karly,
Thank you so much! I do love this salad!
Elaine
Chris
Delish way to eat your veggies! I love all the ingredients in this salad, which taste great together. I also love how light it is in the stomach. It’s a perfect complement to lunch.
Elaine
Thank you Chris
Krissy Allori
This looks amazing! And so easy too! My family will love this!
Elaine
Thanks Krissy!
Monica | Nourish + Fete
What a fantastic summer staple! I’d inhale this with chips, on tacos, on top of hot dogs, pretty much any which way! I especially love the red onions – so much flavor and such a beautiful pop of color!
Elaine
Thanks Monica! I agree that it can go on anything, and I love the red onion in it too!
Sandi
This would be a great way to get kids to eat veggies. Especially with the colors.
Elaine
Thanks Sandi, you are right!
Kelly Anthony
Black beans are my favorite bean of all, and they go so well with corn! This is an excellent recipe! YUM!
Elaine
Thank you Kelly! I think I love black beans the most too!
Iryna
I love such simple salads that are healthy and delicious. I have a can of black beans sitting in my pantry, so I need to make this salad soon. I’m sure my kids will love it.
Elaine
Thanks Iryna! All my great nieces and nephews gobble this salad up, even with the purple onion, which surprised me!
Patty
Yummy! This salad wouldn’t last long in my home, so fresh and flavorful, can’t wait to try it!
Elaine
Thank you, dear Patty!
Helena
I love all ingredients! This black bean salad with corn looks absolutely scrumptious!
Elaine
Thank you Helena!
Jessica
I stocked up my pantry with beans and was looking for more interesting recipes to use them. This looks very delicious!
Elaine
Thanks Jessica!! It’s such a quick and easy side dish!
Linda
I love the flexibility and tips you provided for this salad. This looks like a crowd pleaser for sure!
Elaine
Thanks Linda!! 🙂
Anna
I do love beans in salads, black beans especially! They are so healthy and good for you, and I love that contrast with added sweetcorn there too! Delicious and healthy salad!
Elaine
Thanks Anna! It is such a nice side for a cookout!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
I absolutely adore bean salads. They’re so versatile! And this would be a great way to use the last few garden tomatoes that we have this summer. What a tasty dish!
Elaine
Thanks Ashley! I appreciate it!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life
Black beans, corn, balsamic vinegar… This salad looks like it has all of my favorite things in it! I can’t wait to try it.
Elaine
Thanks Claire. It’s so quick and easy to make, in fact, I made it yesterday for our Labor Day celebration at my sisters.
prasanna hede
This looks great for Summer or even otherwise,would love this to make on weekend and try.I am sure my family would love this.
Elaine
Thanks Prasanna! I hope you do try it as it is easy and delicious!
Heather
Such a great recipe! Super versatile and hearty .. great to whip up anytime and gorgeous pictures 🙂
Elaine
Thank you Heather, I appreciate it!
Michele
I have to say, I love most dishes that contain beans. This salad looks like the perfect summer side. Sounds so fresh and delicious!
Elaine
Thanks Michele! It is so yummy!
Nicole
This would be a really good topping and salsa too!
Elaine
I agree! Thanks Nicole! I love dipping chips in it!
Shanna Jones
This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy black beans. I love that corn goes so well with it. This recipe seems really easy to make too!
Elaine
It is Shanna! So easy. Thank you!
Sally Humeniuk
Ingredients that are all so good for you, I love this recipe and especially how easy it is! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Elaine
Thank you Sally! 🙂
Natalie
This is definitely one of my favorite mexican inspired salads. It’s very nutritious and super healthy. But I never tried with balsamic vinegar so I must give this recipe a try. Looks really good and so flavorful.
Elaine
Thanks Natalie! The balsamic vinegar gives it a nice zip! I made this dish for my sister’s labor day party and added cilantro this time since I had it on hand and everyone enjoyed it.