This festive corn and black bean salad packs a colorful rainbow of vegetables, including corn, peppers, onions, and cilantro, and is dressed with a tangy, fresh dressing that takes 2 minutes to make. A simple salad that's the perfect side dish or dip for any meal! Your perfect summer salad for your next bbq or healthy lunch awaits.
Everyone has a version of black bean corn salad, similar to Cowboy Caviar. It's full of different flavors and textures while tasting so fresh, tangy, and irresistibly good for you. It’s a veggie lover’s dream and oh so versatile. Serve as a side dish on Taco Tuesday, a topping for chicken or fish, or with tortilla chips and Blueberry margaritas.
My sister-in-law introduced this recipe to our family, and it’s become her legacy. This salad is always requested at every family gathering. Every. Single. One. Full of texture, and irresistibly good for you, this family favorite is guaranteed to be one of yours too!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s an overview of your ingredients and notes on substitutions:
*Skip or adjust any vegetable to suit your preferred taste in this easy black bean salad recipe.
Corn: Use frozen, canned, or fresh corn kernels; I prefer thawed frozen corn.
Black Beans: I use canned black beans. If you want to cook your own, use this recipe for Black Beans cooked from scratch.
Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, found in the canned vegetable aisle.
Olives: I slice canned or marinated whole olives myself. I find pre-sliced olives to be too mushy.
Fresh Veggies. Green & Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Cilantro adds a tang of green we all crave. If you don’t love cilantro, feel free to leave it out.
Dressing Ingredients: Garlic Powder (not garlic salt), cayenne, and cumin add a subtle kick to the oil and vinegar dressing. While red wine vinegar is preferred, you can use apple cider vinegar in a pinch.
Potential Addition Ideas
- Halved Cherry Tomatoes
- Cannellini Beans
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Cojita Cheese
- Fresh Squeezed Lime
How to Make the Best Black Bean Salad
Versatile and vibrant, it’s easy to see why this salad is popular among steak-and-potato diehards and veg-forward diners alike. It’s as adept for a weeknight meal as it is for a company potluck or BBQ. It’s one of my personal favorite healthy late-night snacks.
Here’s a few ways to set your new dish apart from the pack:
- Whisk your dressing as you pour it in. The garlic and spices fall to the bottom quickly in the dressing.
- Wait at least an hour or two before serving to allow vinaigrette to integrate fully. Flavors are brightest once they have time to fully meld.
- Squeeze with fresh lime right before serving to brighten dish with fresh citrus tang.
- This recipe is great for meal prep and can easily be made ahead.
- Once tossed with vinaigrette, the salad will store refrigerated in an airtight container for up 3-4 days. Stir well before serving.
More Easy Chopped Salads
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Tri-Color Pasta Salad
- Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
- Ginger Peanut Broccoli Slaw
- Chickpea Salad with Vinaigrette
- Cucumbers and Onions Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
It doesn’t have any real heat. Feel free to add some jalapenos if you want to add some kick.
Yes, simply chop the veggies smaller and puree about ½-1 cup of the mixture in a blender. It would be quite chunky, so add some water to thin it out a bit.
No, they do not need to be cooked. I do suggest rinsing them really well, though!
Not Sure
What's For Dinner?
Signup for recipe updates and get a free cookbook of Easy Weeknight Supper Solutions!
More Delicious Salad Recipes
PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- ⅓ cup Green Peppers, Diced
- ⅓ cup Red Pepper, Diced
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 2 ½ cups Whole Corn I prefer frozen, but canned is fine
- ⅔ cup Garbanzo Beans drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup Black Olives sliced
- 1 ⅓ cup Black Beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoon Fresh Cilantro finely chopped
Dressing ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- dash Black Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients.
- In a separate smaller bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together.
- Add dressing to the salad and toss until evenly distributed. Wisk & pour, garlic and spices fall to the bottom quickly.
- Or put the spices in with the veggies and then toss with the whisked vinaigrette.
- For best results, chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to let the flavors mix. Serve as a side dish or as a dip with tortilla chips.
Bennie says
Very easy to prepare you can spread atop of lettuce and l put thinly sliced season on baked chicken breast , sliced thin an put atop of salad or just serve alone, l also ate tostitos to the side
Roxanne says
This is a huge hit at family get togethers!
Clarissa says
Sounds delicious!! Corn salsa (and even corn in my guac!) is a favorite of mine!
-Clarissa @ The View From Here
Rachel says
I love guacamole, and now I am wondering how I never thought to put corn in it?! Sounds perfectly suited!