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
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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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No need to go through the bother of cooking the corn – it’s delicious raw. I also didn’t soak the onion and unless you’re very sensitive to onion strength – no need to do that either. Just throw all the ingredients together and toss with the dressing. Very fresh taste that is delicious. Great for a summer side dish or salad. I gets better as it sits.
As I’m writing this review, I’m eating this salad. I’m at a loss for words to describe what’s happening to my taste buds right now! I used to hate cilantro but, for some reason, it’s absolutely delicious in this salad.
The only ingredient I left out was the cumin, and it wasn’t intentional. I tore my spice cupboard upside down trying to find it, then remembered I used it all up for my Golden Milk batch. I’m not missing the cumin, but will definitely include it when I make this recipe again, this weekend. Oh my word, this is soooo good.
I had placed your book in my Amazon cart and this salad has me sold; I will definitely purchase. Thank you very much for such a delicious recipe. Going for seconds….
So glad you’re enjoying the salad! Thanks in advance for purchasing the cookbook — hope you enjoy that too! 🙂
I made this for a surprise Birthday Party and it was a huge hit! I doubled the recipe because there were 35 guests and it all went! So YUMMY! I will definitely make it again and again.
Totally addictive! I do increase the corn to three to four ears. I also sometimes use seeded garden tomatoes instead of red bell pepper. I plan on making it for our church picnic this Saturday. I absolutely love your recipes. I share your site with other shoppers at the checkout line every time I go to the grocery store. I’m looking forward to purchasing your cookbook!
Aww, thank you, Mary. 💕
I very much enjoy your website. Great recipe…I made it as per recipe. We are only two so ate it over three meals. The second day was better than the first (but both were good). On the third day, my hubby suggested we heat it and serve it over rice with leftover bbq’d sliced mild Italian sausage seasoned with fennel. I was a bit skeptical but it was really very good! It reminded him of a casado from Costa Rica. Delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Jenn:
I have tried numerous of your recipes and all of them turned out amazing!!! I recently made the lemon pound cake and it was absolutely delicious !!! Thank you so much for all your great recipes. I really want to make the black bean and corn salad with chipotle honey vinaigrette, but I can’t find the canned chipotle pepper in my local supermarkets, is there something else I can use to substitute for the canned chipotle pepper? I also want to double the recipe, should I double for the dressing as well? Will it be alright to make the salad the night before and serve it the next day? Thank you!
what can I use to substitute for the canned chipotle pepper?
Hi Sandy, So glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes you’ve made! 🙂 Unfortunately, there’s no great substitute for the chipotle peppers in adobo, but I do have a very similar recipe that doesn’t require them, so you could make that one instead. And it’s actually better if you let it sit in the fridge overnight! Just wait until you’re ready to serve it to add the avocado. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn:
Thank you for your suggestions, I love salad dressing with red wine vinegar in it, so I just went ahead to made the black bean and corn salad with honey vinaigrette. I did not use the chipotle peppers ( I couldn’t find any in my local supermarkets). The flavor of the salad is amazing and well balanced even without the chipotle. I tasted it right after I mixed in the salad dressing with all the ingredients, I also tripled the recipe for a family gathering tomorrow afternoon. I am sure this salad is going to be a big hit! Love Love Love this salad!!! Thanks again for all your wonderful recipes on your website!😊 Sandy from Vancouver BC
Dear Sandy,
Giant Foods Grocery stores have the canned chipotle peppers. I had to purchase them for a coupe of coworkers that could not find them at their grocery stores. I believe it is a Goya product. You may be able to order it off of Amazon.
I made this salad, served with tilapia and my guests loved it so much they wanted the recipe which I definitely gave them. It was so yummy. Thank you so much
This recipe is fantastic. I have made it countless times and am always asked to bring (a double recipe) to potlucks. So easy to make as well.
Hi Jenn,
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in this recipe?
Karen
Sure, Karen — the flavor will be a bit different though.
I made this for our 4th of July party and everyone loved it! I used fresh corn, but did not boil it and it was fantastic. Thank you for posting this with easy to follow directions.