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
- 14 Cinco de Mayo Recipes For a Fiesta To Remember
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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I’ve been making this recipe for years! Always a favorite at potlucks and so easy to pull together.
I had been wanting to try this for so long and I finally tried this wonderful salad … it was so good – especially the dressing !!
Thank you, we’ll be having more of this very soon. Leilani O.
Can you please explain why this dressing different from the other Chipotle vinaigrette on your website? This one has lime juice and cumin, the other doesn’t. Can either work on this salad? Just made three batches of the other recipe to take somewhere and now I’m afraid it might be missing something.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe!
Sure, Suzie, either dressing would work on this salad. Hope everyone enjoys!
Our family LOVES taco night. It has long been our favorite meal. Last night I thought I’d mix it up and serve this salad aside our tacos. Big mistake! This salad completely upstaged our beloved tacos. I knew it would be great as is everything that I have made from your cookbooks, but we really weren’t prepared for just how flavorful this would be. My husband is big on variety, but said he could eat this everyday.
Oh my, this was a hit and I didn’t even use fresh corn! It’s out of season, so I steamed some frozen sweet corn and drained it thoroughly. I also doubled the avocado. Everyone asked for the recipe!
Love it!! As a matter of fact I am nibbling on this salad right now. I do what I do and somehow I always end up sneaking one more bite.
Hi, love your recipes. I will be making your Tequila chicken and your Black Bean and avocado salad recipes and wondering what rice would you serve with it?
Hi Bev, so glad you like the recipes! I actually think the chicken and the black bean and avocado salad or a meal of themselves and they would be perfect with margaritas. If you feel the need to have something else with it, you could consider couscous. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Can you use canned corn kernels instead of fresh corn?
Sure – just make sure to drain and rinse them. Hope you enjoy!
Fantastic! I can’t tell you how many times I have made this recipe! It just disappears! I took it to a tailgating party this weekend and everyone asked for the recipe. We put it on our salads, scrambled eggs, hamburgers as a relish, and even as the filling to a breakfast burrito. It is so healthy and delicious. Everyone from my 4 year old granddaughter to the septuagenarians in my family love it.
Hi Jen,
I have made the black bean salad with chipotle-honey dressing multiple times. It always turns out great, and everyone loves it! Right now, I am having a hard time finding fresh corn. Can I make the salad with frozen corn? If so, how many cups would I use? Thanks for this recipe, as well as other your other wonderful recipes and advice!
Hi Hannah, So glad you like this! Yes, you can use frozen corn. You’ll need about 1.5 cups. 🙂