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Black Bean Salad

Black bean salad with corn and bell peppers tossed in a lime-cilantro dressing for a bright, crunchy Mexican-style side. A quick mix followed by 1 hour of marinating gives the beans and corn time to soak up flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 290
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Black beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
Corn
  • 2 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen, thawed
Bell peppers
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper diced
Onion and herbs
  • 0.5 red onion finely diced
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Dressing base
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 0.1 salt to taste
  • 0.05 pepper to taste

Method
 

Mix the salad
  1. Combine black beans, corn kernels, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, red onion, and fresh cilantro in a large bowl, stirring until evenly distributed.
Make the lime-cilantro dressing
  1. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl until the dressing looks smooth and the seasonings are dispersed.
Toss and marinate
  1. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and toss well until everything is coated and glossy.
  2. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to let the flavors develop, covered to prevent drying out.
Finish and serve
  1. Toss again before serving so the dressing redistributes and the salad looks fresh.

Notes

For best texture, use fully thawed corn and rinse the black beans well so they don’t taste starchy. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; it can also be frozen only for shorter periods (up to 1 month) as the bell peppers and corn may soften after thawing. For a lower-sodium version, reduce added salt and use a no-salt seasoning mix if desired; it stays vegan and plant-based.