Black Bean Salad with Corn

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.

Close up of the two white bowls of bean salad and the big bowl behind themPin

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

  1. Don’t like corn? Switch it out with peas
  2. Like pinto beans better than black beans? You can do that too
  3. Don’t like purple onions?  Omit it
  4. 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.

Tomatoes, lime, purple onion, corn and oil and vinegar on a blue tablePin

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.

Lime juice, olive oil, balsamic, cut onion and tomatoes with a metal bowl in the backgroundPin

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!

Overhead shot of a beige bowl with the bean salad and a few spoons and napkin in the backgroundPin

Close up of the big bowl.

Close up of the big beige serving bowl of black beans, corn, tomatoes and onionPin

Christopher wants some of the salad NOW so I spoon it out into some serving bowls to stop his whining. 😉

Two single servings of the bean salad with the bigger serving bowl in the backgroundPin

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.

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 FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Close up of the big beige serving bowl of black beans, corn, tomatoes and onionPin

Black Bean Salad with Corn

Quick, easy and delicious bean salad recipe
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: black bean salad, black bean salad with corn, black bean salsa
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 249kcal

Ingredients

  • 30 ounces black beans 2 cans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 tomatoes small to medium, diced
  • 1.5 cup frozen corn cooked and cooled
  • 1/2 purple onion diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/16 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 ounces lime juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  • Boil water for the corn, once done, set in the corn in the refrigerator for faster cooling.
    1.5 cup frozen corn
  • Place rinsed and drained beans in a medium mixing bowl.
    30 ounces black beans
  • Add tomatoes, onion, corn, salt, pepper, parsley, lime juice, oil and balsamic vinegar and mix with a spatula until it is incorporated.
    4 tomatoes, 1.5 cup frozen corn, 1/2 purple onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/16 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 2 ounces lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
  • Transfer to a serving bowl, it makes a very pretty dish.
  • Serve
  • Eat
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Adjust oil, vinegar and lime juice to suit your needs!
Add 1/8 cup fresh chopped cilantro for a fresh taste!
Tips for making the black bean salad with corn:
  • 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

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 13.3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2.7mg
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Originally published August of 2016.

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Recipe Rating




42 Comments

  1. “Salad of Goodness”… you really couldn’t be any more accurate with that one! Healthy, delicious and perfect for picnics or family BBQs! Yum!

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. Black beans are my favorite bean of all, and they go so well with corn! This is an excellent recipe! YUM!

  5. 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.

    1. Thanks Iryna! All my great nieces and nephews gobble this salad up, even with the purple onion, which surprised me!

  6. I stocked up my pantry with beans and was looking for more interesting recipes to use them. This looks very delicious!

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

  9. 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.

    1. Thanks Claire. It’s so quick and easy to make, in fact, I made it yesterday for our Labor Day celebration at my sisters.

  10. 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.

  11. I have to say, I love most dishes that contain beans. This salad looks like the perfect summer side. Sounds so fresh and delicious!

  12. 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!

  13. Ingredients that are all so good for you, I love this recipe and especially how easy it is! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  14. 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.

    1. 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.