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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Absolutely love this recipe, especially in the summer with fresh garden produce. We don’t change a thing and enjoy it as a side or with chips. So simple & delicious
Hey… I have made several of your recipes and all have been amazing. I especially love this one. I enjoy searching through for new ideas. But, I especially love the little tips and tidbits of information found in the recipe! Invaluable, in my opinion. Thanks for all you do…
Always a crowd pleaser! Not only is it easy to make ahead, if you have left-overs, even the avocado stayed green for several days because of the lime juice. Tastes great, easy, make ahead and great left-overs! A+!
I originally found this site because I LOVE Chipotle’s salad dressing, and Jenn’s copycat recipe is nearly perfect. This salad has a very similar dressing – which takes the “cowboy caviar” salad to a new level. Really adaptable recipe, and you really can’t go wrong as long as you include the corn, beans, and onions – and this AWESOME dressing!
This salad is delicious! Fresh, crunchy, full of flavor. Goes well with bbq’d steak or chicken… and a green salad. I’ve made it with left-over grilled corn on the cob, and the little bit of char adds even more flavor to the salad. Delish!
I have made this salad twice to rave reviews. The first time I forgot to put the avocado in the salad but it was still delicious. It’s not the time of the year for fresh corn so I used frozen Green Giant Sweet Corn, steamed it and let it drain in a colander. The first time I served it with chili and the second time with beef tacos. What I particularly like about this recipe is that it can be prepared in advance.
This salad is perfection. The dressing is spicy and flavorful, I was worried it might be to spicy for me but it is perfect. The combination of corn avacado and black beans is terriffic.
Oh, my. This is so addictive. The salad is so colourful, and the flavours are outstanding. I have to stop myself from overeating! Everybody who has it ask for the recipe! Thanks, Jenn!
One of our summertime staples! My family LOVES this salad. We serve it as a topping on a “bowl” of brown rice, sliced grilled chicken, and romaine lettuce, and tortilla chips. I do serve cubed avocado on the side, because the leftover salad keeps better that way. So yummy!!
This is a great salad. Spicy but delicious. My friend Nancy made it for us first and then I looked up your recipe. The only change I made was using lemon honey instead of regular. Comes out great every time.
This salad is delicious!! My daughter had me make it every Sunday night and then she would take it to school for her lunch. I was getting requests from her friends mother’s for the recipe! I made it exactly as written. Perfect every time.
This was the very first recipe I made of Jen’s. So flavorful and delicious. Whoever I make it for, they never fail to ask for the recipe.