Black Bean Shrimp Salad with Corn & Pickled Onions
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This flavor-packed black bean shrimp salad is the perfect light weeknight supper, and it also screams summer potluck.
Inspired by the lovely cookbook Salads: Beyond the Bowl by Mindy Fox (Kyle Books, 2012), this main course black bean shrimp salad is the perfect light weeknight dinner or summer potluck dish. The recipe does involve a bit of preparation – first, you quick-pickle the onion, boil the corn, and sauté the shrimp – but, I promise, it all comes together quickly and easily. And it’s worth the effort: each separate element really makes the salad sing. For best results, use only high-quality canned beans, like Bush’s or Goya.
What you’ll need to make black bean shrimp salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the pickled red onions. In a medium skillet, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar.
Add the sliced onion.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, gently stirring, until the onions have wilted slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the onions and pickling liquid to a heatproof bowl and let cool.
Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn, then cover the pot and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the corn from the water and let cool.
Holding the cooled corn upright in a large mixing bowl, cut the kernels off the cob in strips.
To the bowl of corn, add the beans, scallions, cilantro, 5 tablespoons of the oil, the lime juice and lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the cumin.
Toss well and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic.
Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the shrimp to the mixing bowl with the corn, scraping all of the garlicky oil from the pan into the bowl.
Toss the salad, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary (be sure to taste the salad with the pickled onions and feta; they balance the flavor).
Transfer to a serving bowl. Crumble the feta over the salad, gently toss, and sprinkle with extra cilantro and fresh ground black pepper, if desired. Remove the pickled onions from their pickling liquid and serve on the side.
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Black Bean Shrimp Salad with Corn & Pickled Onions
This flavor-packed black bean shrimp salad is the perfect light weeknight supper, and it also screams summer potluck.
Ingredients
For the Pickled Onions
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
For the Salad
- 2 ears fresh corn
- Two (15-oz) cans black beans, best quality such as Bush's or Goya, rinsed and well-drained
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Instructions
For the Pickled Onions
- In a medium skillet, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Add the onion, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, gently stirring, until the onions have wilted slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the onions and pickling liquid to a heatproof bowl and let cool.
For the Salad
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn, then cover the pot and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the corn from the water and let cool. Holding the cooled corn upright in a large mixing bowl, cut the kernels off the cob in strips.
- To the bowl of corn, add the beans, scallions, cilantro, 5 tablespoons of the oil, the lime juice and lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the cumin. Toss well and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer the shrimp to the mixing bowl with the corn, scraping all of the garlicky oil from the pan into the bowl. Toss the salad, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary (be sure to taste the salad with the pickled onions and feta; they balance the flavor). Transfer to a serving bowl. Crumble the feta over the salad, gently toss, and sprinkle with extra cilantro and fresh ground black pepper, if desired. Remove the pickled onions from their pickling liquid and serve on the side. The salad may be served room temperature or cold.
- Make-Ahead: The salad is best served on the same day of assembling, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Taste and adjust seasoning again before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 459
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Sodium: 805 mg
- Cholesterol: 112 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.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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this salad became our favorite salad for summer and meal for dinner. I made this salad, german potato salad and 4 pounds of chicken tenders, all other food was catered . And all Jenn’s food was gone quickly. People were taking pictures of it 🙂 so delicious.
Amazing, we couldn’t stop eating, next day took with me to work for lunch – still was so good. Planning my baby’s 1st bday. I tried many recipes from book and from here, everything turns out great. this is one of the dishes that will be on the table.very healthy and light.
So glad you enjoyed it, Edith. Happy birthday to your baby!
Thank you. Even my baby loves your scrambled eggs from your book. Every saturday my family is requesting eggs with “grass” (dill) 🙂 so simple and so delicious.
Jenn,
You are an amazing chef and teacher! This salad is delicious. I’m curious about why the pickled onions are served on the side? It’s certainly beautiful this way and I’m not sure how they would hold up or look mixed in, but I’m sure you have an educated reason.
Many thanks!
Hi Laura, I think I did that because they look prettier that way. Totally fine to mix them in, if you prefer. 🙂
Have you ever made this when corn is out of season? I am craving this salad but it is January. Do you think defrosted, frozen corn is the way to go?
Sure, Katie, frozen corn should work here. Just defrost it first. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I never would have thought to put all of these ingredients together, but I am so glad you did! They all work so well together, the taste is fresh and flavorful. I have been taking this to work for lunch and I find myself thinking about that wonderful salad waiting for me in my lunchbox. Thank you for another super recipe!
Can a sweeter white onion (NoonDay/Vidalia) be substituted and taste well?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried this with a sweet onion, but I suspect it will be fine. Hope you enjoy!
I love this dish. Emailed it to my son who lives alone and likes to cook. It’s good anytime, but extra good as a summer supper.
Jenn! Another amazing dish! I made as written but doubled the shrimp!
Just can’t go wrong with any of your recipes! Thank you so much!
Delicious! Flavors play off each other so well! I didn’t change a thing and meat-and-potatoes hubby (who doesn’t like cilantro) says this is a keeper. Thank you for another wonder recipe!
This is fantastic! So much flavor! I absolutely love your recipes! Thank you!
Looks delish! How long should the pickled onions keep if stored in lets say a Mason jar and refrigerated?
Hi Laura, They’ll keep well for a few weeks — and if you have extra they are good on everything! Enjoy!
Jenn, these turned out great! One question. I’ve seen different recipes on the internet and some call for boiling while others go with a cold technique for the pickling. What’s the difference?
Glad you enjoyed them, Young! I believe the hot versus cold method is intended more for canning and I don’t know much about canning — sorry (but you may find this article helpful). 🙂
So good! I only made a half recipe, and will likely regret that. Already had some pickled onions, so it was quite quick. The sweet crispy corn and onions go so well with the garlicky shrimp, creamy feta and beans. Great combination of flavors. Thanks!