Southwest Black Bean Salad (Printable)

Zesty black beans and sweet corn with peppers and cilantro in lime vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1 medium avocado, diced (optional)

→ Lime Vinaigrette

08 - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine black beans, sweet corn, diced red and yellow bell peppers, chopped red onion, and fresh cilantro. Add diced avocado if desired.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently to ensure even coating of all ingredients.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 15 minutes with zero cooking, perfect for when the kitchen feels too hot to handle.
  • The flavors actually get better as it sits, so you can make it ahead and let the lime juice work its magic on the beans.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like a compromise version of anything.
02 -
  • Don't dress this salad more than an hour before serving if you're using avocado, or it'll turn brown and soft in a way that's no longer pleasant.
  • The flavors absolutely improve if you give it at least 20 minutes before eating, so chill it and let the beans absorb that lime juice.
03 -
  • Dice your avocado last, just before tossing everything together, so it stays creamy and doesn't brown from the lime juice.
  • If you're serving this at room temperature and it sits for a while, the salt will start to pull water out of the vegetables, which is actually good—it intensifies the flavors—but the texture of raw onion and pepper will soften.
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