Black Bean and Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
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This make-ahead black bean and corn salad is a real crowd-pleaser. Bonus: it doubles as a dip!
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Perhaps the best compliment this salad ever received was from one of my readers, who confessed to me, “I’m having an affair with this salad…please don’t tell anyone.” Another reader told me that she made this salad for a party, and later found one of her guests in her study, printing out copies of the recipe to hand out. It’s just one of those crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipes that everyone loves. Whether I serve it with grilled chicken or as a dip with tortilla chips (highly recommend!), the bowl is always empty and the plates are always full.
This recipe is similar to my popular Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette. The difference is that this version is dressed in a smoky and sweet chipotle-honey vinaigrette, similar to Chipotle’s honey vinaigrette. I think you will love both variations!
What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean and Corn Salad
In addition to the basics, the recipe calls for canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These are small peppers (usually red jalapeños) that have been dried and smoked that come in a spicy, smoky tomato sauce. I love their flavor and am always looking for ways to incorporate them into recipes (see these baja fish tacos and these chipotle chicken quesadillas).
You can find them in the Latin section of most supermarkets. Once you open a can, you can transfer any remaining peppers to a plastic container and store in the refrigerator for at least a month. You can also freeze them.
Step-by-step Instructions
Begin by cooking the corn. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn and simmer, covered, for about ten minutes, then cut the kernels off the cob. Next, chop the red onions, soak them in cold water for about ten minutes, then drain; this takes the sharp raw onion taste away. (If you’re a raw onion lover, feel free to skip this step.)
Rinse and drain the black beans.
Then make the dressing. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top.
Toss and refrigerate for at least one hour or, preferably, overnight. The salad tastes infinitely better cold, especially once the flavors have a chance to marry and the vegetables soak up some of the dressing.
Right before serving, add the avocado and gently toss. Enjoy!
you May Also Like
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
- Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Restaurant-Style Salsa
- Guacamole
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Black Bean & Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
This make-ahead black bean and corn salad is a real crowd-pleaser. Bonus: it doubles as a dip!
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro (plus a bit more for garnish, if desired)
- 1 avocado
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1-2 limes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2 peppers, not 2 cans; use smaller peppers and if they are all large, use only 1½)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and let cool.
- Meanwhile, place the chopped red onions in a small bowl and cover with water. Let sit about ten minutes, then drain completely in a sieve and set aside.
- Place the beans in a sieve; run under cold water to rinse well. Let drain completely and set aside.
- Holding the cooled corn upright in a large bowl, cut the kernels off the cob in strips. Add the beans, red onion, red bell pepper and cilantro.
- Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor; process until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight.
- Right before serving, slice the avocado in half. Remove the pit; using a butter knife, cut a grid in each half. Holding the avocado halves over the salad, use a spoon to scoop out the diced flesh. Toss the salad gently, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add a squeeze of fresh lime to freshen it up). Garnish with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Serve cold.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: approximately 1 cup
- Calories: 357
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 306 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This looks delicious! Would this be considered gluten free? I want to make it for a lunch party but know a guest won’t be able to enjoy it if it isn’t. Thank you!
Hi Debbie, I believe so, just be sure that the black beans are certified gluten free (should say on the label); there can be cross contamination with wheat products. Also be sure the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are gluten free; I believe the brand I use (Goya) is but definitely double check to be safe 🙂
Absolutely loved this salad, but it was SO spicy. Do you put the whole can of peppers in? It says there are 2 peppers in the can with sauce, which is what the recipe calls for.
Hi Yvonne, Glad you enjoyed! The salad should have a little kick but not be spicy. I definitely don’t use the whole can. Not sure which brand you use, but the kind I buy has around 8-10 peppers in a can. Hope that helps!
what is the nutrition facts?
Hi Kim, See the nutrition facts at the bottom of the recipe.
I haven’t tried the original recipe yet, but I can certainly vouch for the new version! This is a refreshing salad with a delicious kick to the dressing. I accidentally doubled the beans, but it still turned out great. Love your website, recipes and being able to receive newsletter. Thanks
an absolutely awesome crowd pleaser. I’ve made it twice and didn’t have any left overs.
Made this salad as part of the offerings at our boys’ joint birthday party… And almost everyone asked for the recipe. It’s that good. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I love this. I prefer it fresh when all the flavors are separate, rather than refrigerated over night when everything tastes the same. The dressing is spectacular as usual. Thank you.
Wow Bret! I never thought of it that way!
Instead of “Allow it to rest to let the flavors meld”, one could also “Serve immediately to allow the separate and distinct flavors to shine”. Hmmmm.
It’s a new perspective – love it! Thanks!
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the
layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see
a great blog like this one these days.
Thanks, Jestine. That is so nice to read! It’s a custom design.
I totally agree! I am always hunting for recipes and yours are very easy to follow and beautiful to look at. This recipe is also amazing!!! I had to sub pinto beans and am out of bell pepper and avocado and it is STILL amazing. Can’t wait to make it again with everything!!
Wonderful! Fabulous! Delicious!
Oh. My. Word!
Hi Jenn!
Love, love, love your recipes!
Question – How long will this dish hold without the avocado turning brown? It’s just me, but I like to eat well. I could make a 1/2 recipe if necessary and eat as a full meal.
Thanks, Heather…so glad you are enjoying the recipes! As long as you toss the avocado with the salad so that it gets coated with the vinaigrette, it will keep without getting brown for about a day. Without the avocado, the salad can be made well ahead of time and keeps for several days.
Thanks Jenn