Black Bean and Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette

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Black Bean and Corn Salad

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This make-ahead black bean and corn salad is a real crowd-pleaser. Bonus: it doubles as a dip!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

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

ingredients for 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

boiling corn and cutting kernels off the cob

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.)

soaking and draining the red onions

Rinse and drain the black beans.

rinsing and draining the black beans

Then make the dressing. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and process until smooth.

making the chipotle dressing in mini food processor

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top.

adding dressing to all of the ingredients

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.

scooping diced avocado into the bowl

Right before serving, add the avocado and gently toss. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

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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!

Servings: 6 (as a side dish)
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus at least one hour to chill

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Place the beans in a sieve; run under cold water to rinse well. Let drain completely and set aside.
  4. 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.
  5. Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor; process until smooth.
  6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight.
  7. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Great salad for the summer!

    • — Charlotte Evans
    • Reply
  • Absolutely love it, and this is the dish I bring to other people’s houses as well. Everybody loves it and ask for the recipe. Have a lot of people in my circle that doesn’t like one or the other ingredient, but that doesn’t matter, they still eat and love it. It’s addictive, and I always make sure I have the ingredients on hand in case I feel the craving.

    • — Britt from Oslo, Norway
    • Reply
  • This is excellent! I love the honey chipolte dressing. It is delicious.

  • This was really good—I used only 1/4 of a small chipotle pepper because they are REALLY hot…

  • We tried this for Cinco de Mayo and really enjoyed the smoky vinaigrette. I reused the leftovers to make an entree salad. Romaine lettuce topped with some of this salad; the leftover Restaurant-Style Salsa mixed with Ranch dressing to make a southwest dressing; leftover ground beef, browned (could use chicken too); and finally crushed tortilla chips mixed in for a crouton-effect. It was a tasty option to change the leftovers. Jenn, as you mentioned, it makes a good dip too. With only two in our house, I love dishes that work in creative leftover options.

  • Hi Jenn,
    How many people would this recipe be appropriate for as an appetizer?
    Thanks,
    Janet

    • — Janet McCartin
    • Reply
    • Hi Janet, If you’re serving as a dip, I’d say 10.

  • This salad is exceptional, a great combination of ingredients with a tangy dressing. The adobo peppers (which I’ve never had before) are the special ingredient that in combination with the honey give the salad a smoky yet sweet flavor. I paired it with grilled chicken (using the marinade from Jenn’s grilled chicken Caesar salad recipe). The salad was a big hit with my family and one I will definitely add to my favorites list.

  • I’ve made this over and over again this summer, it is so simple to make, and the flavours are amazing. I am taking it to a family lunch on the weekend, and I know that my reign as “Queen Salad Maker” will be long lived with this one. Thank you for another fabulous recipe, Jenn!

    • — Karen from Sydney
    • Reply
  • This is my favorite dish of everything I have made from this website! Everyone love it!

  • This is a wonderful, tasty, and easy side dish. The chipotles really make the taste difference in the dressing. Delicious!

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