This fabulous Southwest style black bean salad is quick to put together and is a general favorite at potlucks, picnics, and in your lunch! Drizzle and toss with a simple homemade lime and olive oil dressing and you’re set for a delicious and healthy experience!
I love this salad so much because it is a truly functional salad! It is fresh, it has flavor, plus its hearty…and it doesn’t wilt! It’s flexible too – you can eat it with tortilla chips as a kind of dip or straight up in a bowl!
How to make Black Bean Salad:
Start by rinsing and draining two cans of black beans (Photo 1). Rinsing well helps keep the beans from turning the whole salad black!
In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients: fresh lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, red wine vinegar, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (Photo 2).
Chop the rest of your veggies and cilantro and add to a large bowl with black beans and corn (Photo 3). Pour dressing over and stir to combine (Photo 4). Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving to chill and let flavors combine! Taste test before serving and add salt and an additional squeeze of lime as needed to peak the flavors!
Garnish with chopped fresh avocado as desired and serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a salad on it’s own!
Black Bean Salad Tips:
- Be sure to rinse and drain the beans to avoid extra moisture and to keep everything from turning black!
- Frozen corn, canned corn, or lightly grilled fresh corn all work well in this recipe
- Any combination of red, yellow, or orange bell peppers work fine
- Remove the seeds from your jalapeño pepper if a more mild spiciness is desired – leave more seeds for extra heat!
- Quarter your grape tomatoes (these tend to hold up a little better over time) or dice regular tomatoes as desired
- Replace the lime with lemon if you like, just add a little extra to reach the same zing
Storage tips:
Perfect for your make-ahead lunches, this hearty salad lasts well in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days! Add a little fresh lime or salt as needed to refresh the flavors!
More easy vegan Mexican recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan Mexican Pasta Salad
- Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Healthy Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
- Vegan Tamales
- Mexican Cabbage Salsa
- Vegan Nacho Cheese
- Vegan Black Bean Taquitos
- Vegan Chimichangas
- Vegan Mexican Rice
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Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 15 oz. canned black beans
- 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper, red, orange, or yellow
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeded
- 1 cup frozen corn
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
Instructions
- Start by rinsing and draining two cans of black beans. Rinsing well helps keep the beans from turning the whole salad black!
- In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients: fresh lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, red wine vinegar, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Prep veggies and cilantro and add to a large bowl with black beans and corn. Pour dressing over and stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving to chill and let flavors combine! Taste test just before serving and add additional salt or another squeeze of lime as needed to brighten the flavors!
- Garnish with chopped fresh avocado as desired and serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a salad on it's own!
Notes
Black Bean Salad Tips:
- Be sure to rinse and drain the beans to avoid extra moisture and to keep everything from turning black!
- Frozen corn, canned corn, or lightly grilled fresh corn all work well in this recipe
- Any combination of red, yellow, or orange bell peppers work fine
- Remove the seeds from your jalapeño pepper if a more mild spiciness is desired - leave more seeds for extra heat!
- Quarter your grape tomatoes (these tend to hold up a little better over time) or dice regular tomatoes as desired
- Replace the lime with lemon if you like, just add a little extra to reach the same zing.
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