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!
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- Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
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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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Holy cow is this salad awesome! I made it for game night and it disappeared quickly. My only deviation was adding a 3rd ear of corn, and I think I probably only used one chile. I use chiles in adobo sauce frequently, and when I open a can I dice the chiles and put them in ice cube trays with an equal portion of the sauce and freeze, that way I can just pop one into a recipe and I can make a can last a long time.
I love this salad. However, I used less honey, not sure I like sweet and spicy. I noticed that you use honey in other dressings as well, is this just a personal preference?
Hi Cam, Sometimes a little sweetness balances everything out — even if it’s just a pinch of sugar or touch of honey — but you can absolutely cut back or leave it out entirely.
I made this amazing salad twice now, and both times my guests could not stop talking about it! I am just beginning to try my hand at cooking, so this is a real confidence booster for me. The fresh “off the cob” corn in this dish is the first thing that got everyone’s attention. “Did you cut this corn off the cob!!!!!” Definitely make this for company if you want to blow people away! Thanks, Jennifer
Such flavor! I just made this for the first time and had to comment on what a find this recipe (and website) is. Healthful and positively bursting with deliciousness! This will be on my regular summer rotation. Thanks, Jenn!
I made this recipe last night and gave some to my friend. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop eating. My friend and her family also loved and asked me for the recipe. I loved the flavor. Definitely a keeper 🙂
Tried this recipe and I really loved it and of course you have to tweak it to your taste. I love crunch so when I put the avocado on the salad I broke up some Fritos and put them on top.
We tried this last night and it was very well received by all (adults). I didn’t have the fresh corn so I used quality frozen steam in the bag corn.
I was serving this as kind of a main course, so in this case I served this with sides (separate bowls) of cooked & sliced smoked sausage and brown rice for those who wanted to add or create a complete protein meal (with meat or meatless!)
I really appreciate your tip re:
canned Chipotles in Adobe – which we loved and never knew how to preserve after opening the cans! I never even thought about freezing or that it would keep well in the fridge for a month!
And also I had never heard of the tip to soak the chopped onions to take the edge off their rawness (which a lot of people really dislike.)
I was fortunate to have on hand a perfectly ripe avocado (from Trader Joes) which really does make this salad sing.
This recipe is a real keeper! Thanks.
I thought it tastes great. I did not put as much onions in the recipe because I am not a fan of it. I also used one chipotle since I cannot handle hot stuff. The leftovers was used on top of a salad the next day. Loved it.
This recipe is FANTASTIC!
I’ve made this twice, and will continue to make it as it’s fabulous! Next time I’m going to add diced Jicama for even more crunch! Love this recipe!