Black Bean Salad

This easy Black Bean Salad combines fresh, frozen, and canned ingredients for a budget-friendly 20-minute side dish or light lunch. The homemade salad dressing elevates the flavors of this vegetarian recipe to restaurant-worthy territory.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings cups (1 cup each)

Calories 188kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 scallions thinly sliced (see note 1)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce minced (more or less to taste, see note 2)
1/2 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup frozen corn thawed (see note 3)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 avocado pitted, peeled, and chopped (see note 4)
1 medium tomato cored, seeded, and diced (see note 5)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together scallions, lime juice, olive oil, chipotles, honey, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add corn and cook until brown spots form, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, add corn, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro. Drizzle with dressing and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Video

Notes

Scallions: Also known as green onions, feel free to use both the white and the green portion of these long, slim, mildly-oniony stalks.
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce: Look for this sold in cans in the Mexican food or international section of your supermarket, or order canned chipotles in adobo online. They are extremely spicy so handle with care.
Frozen corn: Or fresh corn when it is in season.
Avocado: A ripe avocado yields slightly when you give it a firm, gentle squeeze. Look for avocados that have dark green, bumpy skin; two more signals that the avocado is ripe, according to Avocados from Mexico.
Tomatoes: Roma, cherry, grape, Campari, heirloom (if you're lucky enough to have them); any variety of tomato will do. Remove the core and seeds for the larger varieties. One medium tomato, diced, is equal to about 3/4 cup.
Yield: This Black Bean Salad makes four 1-cup servings, enough for a hearty side dish. To make this a light lunch, pair 2 cups with purchased or Homemade Tortilla Chips and a piece of fruit.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: Technically the corn can be toasted a day or two in advance, but part of the magic of the salad is the warm, just-toasted corn.

Nutrition