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
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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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I love this salad. Do you think one could serve this with a dinner that also includes black beans on the menu? Thanks
You could, but would be a lot of black beans, so personally, I may opt for something else.
Making this for 10 years now!!! Always a crowd pleaser! 18 year old asked for it last night! I added pomegranate the first time I made it and since then always have and I think it gives it an added sweet crunch! First recipe review in my life!
This recipe is perfect as is! It is so refreshing and a family favorite. The dressing is divine. If we have a party and I have this out, it is gone almost immediately. We even use it as a dip for tortilla chips.
Absolutely love this recipe! As a shortcut I’ve used Trader Joe’s roasted corn when fresh corn isn’t in season! Making this again tonight with your tequila and lime chicken 🙂
I’ve just punted in the past and made a black bean corn salad with no recipe. So I decided to try your recipe, it’s a winner! The dressing really makes it. I didn’t have avocadoes, but will plan ahead for next time, for sure. Thanks for another great recipe, Jenn!
p.s. Thanks too for the comment from someone who added some to chicken for chicken enchiladas. That’s for tonight, great idea!
This is a delicious corn salad, the dressing is terrific just the right amount of spice from the chipotle peppers. I used canned corn and it turns out fine, I’m sure fresh corn would be even better. Even the ‘particular foodies ‘ in my family really loved it!! Thanks Jenn for another excellent recipe
Can I replace red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar?
Hi Sohnia, the balsamic will lend a slightly different flavor to the dressing, but it will still be good. Enjoy!
I only had balsamic so I used it. Tasted wonderful!
Any tips for making ahead? I want to take it camping 🙂
Hi Denise, the salad can be made ahead of time and keeps for several days. Just wait until right before serving it to add the avocado. Have fun camping!
This salad was amazing. Again, ingredients that I’m not fond of but You have introduced me to a whole new world! I have made this several times and it’s always a big hit. I wish there was a way to review the recipes in your books. I made the Cobb salad last night and it is amazing. I plan on making that dressing all the time and keep it on hand like I do with your Caesar dressing. I’m not buying bottle dressing anymore. What would you recommend for soup if you were doing a simple dinner of Cobb salad and soup? Thanks Again, for making me look good in the kitchen….. Ha!
Hi Liz, glad you like the salad as well as the cobb salad! If you’re planning on eating the soup and salad sometime soon (while it’s still hot out) two options come to mind — the chilled tomato basil soup or chilled roasted red pepper soup. Hope you enjoy if you try either one!
I made this and it is delicious. I enjoyed it so much along with a couple of your other recipes that I bought both of your cookbooks. Can’t wait to try more.
❤️
Really enjoyed this last night it went perfectly with Chipotle grilled tri-tip, having the rest for lunch today, I first saw this in the cookbook (kindle edition) so it was great to be able to print it here, it`s going our do again file. THX.