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 delicious! I have an abundance of cherry tomatoes right now so added 2 cups halved tomatoes to the salad. Since it is just for my husband and myself, I kept the dressing separate and tossed fresh with each serving. Can’t wait to share this one at our next potluck 😋
This is one salad I go back to again and again. Just as good without the avocado if you don’t have one on hand.
I could eat this everyday, all summer! This is a great side for anything on the grill.
I made the salad for the 4th. such an easy recipe to follow. I thought I would have a problem finding the canned peppers but I didn’t. It was delicious. I like corn so I added one more ear. I made it for a side for the barbecue but everyone ate it with tortilla chips. They loved it. My one niece is a vegetarian so I made your rustles broccoli quiche also and everyone wanted a taste. Even my two year old nephew liked it. It was a big hit.
Just wondering if I can use olive oil or avocado oil in the dressing instead of vegetable oil? Thanks!
Sure, I’d go with the avocado oil. Enjoy!
I get that chipotle is in the title-but I absolutely loath spicy like that. Is there a good replacement for the chipotle in adobo? When a recipe calls for chili pepper I’ll usually replace with smoked paprika, but not sure if it would work here?
Hi Jessica, Yes, you could try adding some smoked paprika to the dressing; it will add some smokiness but no heat. Also, if you want to try a recipe that’s very similar, but doesn’t call for the chipotles in adobo, this one is also delicious.
This recipe is devoured by my family! It has become a summer staple, especially with the fresh corn. Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips or as a side with one of Jenn’s grilled chicken recipes. Thanks for the recipe and all the work you do to make us better cooks!
When might we see your next cookbook coming out?
Also, Happy Anniversary!
Hi Lynn, thanks for the anniversary wishes and nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them, (including this salad)! As of now, I have no plans to write another cookbook, but…never say never!
Hi Jenn, can I use frozen corn for this recipe as fresh corn from the cob is not available yet?
Sure, Deborah, that’s fine. You’ll need about 1.5 cups.
My goodness, this recipe is just perfection. *chef’s kiss* Such a simple yet flavorful salad! All in the dressing! Thank you for creating this master piece. 🙂 I need not to look further for any other black bean salad. This is the one for me.
Just a note for others that I follow the recipe to a T. In my opinion, it doesn’t need any adjusting. I also like a bit of heat so the 2 chipotle peppers are perfect for me. When you try the dressing on its own it’s definitely more potent than when it’s mixed in with the rest of the salad ingredients so keep that in mind as well. Definitely not spicy for me, but adjust if you’re super sensitive to any heat!
Hi Jenn, hello again from the Deep South.. This salad was a total hit at the extended family Easter Brunch this past weekend! I almost didn’t have enough as everyone ate every last morsel of the salad! They also asked what the source of the “heat” was.. 🙂 Thank you so much for freely sharing your precious recipes with all of us. I did buy your cookbooks a while back and plan to buy whatever else you put out there – it’s the least we can do for making us shine in ze kitchen!
I have a dumb question – can I freeze this dressing? I wanted to use up the rest of the canned chipotle chiles, so I made another batch of dressing!
Hi Kate, Thank you for such kind words about the recipes and your support of the cookbooks! Also happy to hear the salad was a hit. 😊 Not a dumb question — I’ve never frozen the dressing so I can’t say for sure. That said, I think it’s worth a try. The texture may be slightly different when you thaw it, but I suspect it will still taste great. Also, for future reference, the chipotle peppers in adobo can be frozen on their own. I’d take a peek online to get some tips for doing that – it’s easy!