Need an excellent no-mayo salad option to bring to a picnic? This avocado, corn and black bean salad is a new family favorite recipe that's also a great meal prep option for a light lunch you can eat all week!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Charred Corn Salad
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Black Bean, Avocado And Corn Salad
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Corn Black Bean Salad
- What To Serve With Corn & Black Bean Salad
- More Delicious Summer Salad Recipes To Try
- Avocado Corn and Black Bean Salad
Why You'll Love Charred Corn Salad
One of the things my family loves to eat most in the summer is fresh corn on the cob. The corn around here is especially sweet and delicious, and my girls go crazy for it! As you can imagine, it makes its way onto our weekly dinner menus quite frequently.
So, I'm constantly in search of fun ways to mix things up with the ingredients we use frequently. Don't get me wrong, we're still frequent flyers with plain and simple corn on the cob, but variety is the spice of life. And I figured a summer corn salad would be a tasty option!
This particular corn & tomato salad is full of delicious veggies, plus black beans for protein. I don't work enough with Cajun seasoning, but it's so darn good that I figured I'd build the flavor profile around it.
This is the perfect salad to bring to a summer picnic because there is no mayonnaise in it, so it can sit outside without being refrigerated (although I personally love it cold!). And that's not the only reason to love this recipe!
- Can be made ahead of time
- Packed with fresh flavor
- Great as a side, dip, or topping
- Easy to customize
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Corn on the cob- If fresh corn isn't in season, just use frozen (thawed first). And in a pinch, well-drained cans of fire-roasted corn kernels would work!
- Black beans- Drain and rinse the beans under cool water so the salad isn't too soggy.
- Grape tomatoes- Perfect for salads due to their lower water content. Swap with cherry tomatoes or the heirloom ones for more color and flavor variety.
- Fresh peppers- Some people love spicy foods, while others don't. For this reason, I've given two options for peppers. Serrano is on the spicier side, while Anaheim has a tiny kick but is milder.
- Cilantro & green onion- Both add loads of freshness. Give both a rough chop, but only use the green parts from the onions. Or, swap with red onion for a stronger onion flavor.
- Avocado- You want these to be ripe enough for flavor and softness, but still firm so the chunks hold their shape.
- Dressing- A simple mixture of EVOO, fresh lime juice, honey, and Cajun seasoning. Add salt and pepper as well, to taste.
How To Make Black Bean, Avocado And Corn Salad
Step 1- Prep the ingredients and mix dressing.
Grill corn on the cob, then cool and slice off all the kernels. Rinse and drain the black beans, then halve the grape tomatoes. Chop the green onion and cilantro, and cut the avocado into chunks. Remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers before dicing.
Mix dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.
Step 2- Mix it all together.
Add everything to a large mixing bowl, saving the avocado chunks for last. Pile them on top in the middle.
Step 3- Finish and chill.
Give it a quick taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Place in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key is to clean and oil the grates, not coat the corn itself with oil. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then cook whole corn on the cob for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes so it chars on all sides.
Diced bell peppers would be yummy — either in place of or in addition to the spicy peppers. Add canned chickpeas for more protein (or use instead of black beans). Zucchini or English cucumber would add some more crunch. You could even mix in some crumbled cotija or queso fresco!
I usually roll them under my hand, applying a little pressure as I do. It also helps if they are room temperature instead of cold. You can even heat them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so, although I've found that rolling does the trick nicely.
Tips For Making Corn Black Bean Salad
- Keep it simple and use canned black beans. While using dried beans can be slightly more economical, you have to soak them for a while and then cook them. Or you can open a can, drain and rinse the beans, and be ready to go!
- I prefer to grill the corn because it adds fabulous flavor and color, but if that's not possible for you, just blanch and cool it.
- Manage the level of spiciness to your taste. Use the measurement for the Cajun seasoning that I've included, then once it's all mixed together, taste it and add more if you want it spicier. I always recommend tasting food as you're making it anyway, to make sure it's got plenty of flavor.
- Avoid brown avocado chunks. I added the avocados to the bowl last and kept them in a pile, then poured the dressing directly on top of them before mixing everything. I was shocked when days later, my avocados were still green!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- The whole thing! Or grill the corn, chop the veggies (except avocado), and mix the dressing, then assemble closer to serving.
- Leftovers and storage- Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Give it a good stir before serving, and add an extra squeeze of lime if it seems dry.
What To Serve With Corn & Black Bean Salad
You can enjoy it as salsa with your favorite tortilla chips or served over grilled fish or another protein. It's a great light lunch option to make at the beginning of the week and portion out for a grab-and-go meal prep. Bonus points if you add grilled chicken to make it a black bean corn salad with chicken! Here are a few more ideas to get you started:
- Jalapeno Deviled Eggs
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- Old Fashioned Salmon Patties
- Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Chops
- Peach Cobbler
More Delicious Summer Salad Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Avocado Corn and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 6 ears corn on the cob, grilled (this ends up being 2 ¼ cups of corn if you're using frozen)
- 14.5 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped- green parts only
- 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced (if you want a spicier salad you can use 2-3 serrano peppers seeded and diced)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
Dressing:
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (around 3-4 limes)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl, with the avocado chunks together on the very top of the pile.
- In a small bowl (or your measuring cup) whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl aiming for the top of the avocado chunks.
- Use a large spoon to mix the salad until well combined and fully coated with dressing.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Keep it simple and use canned black beans. While using dried beans can be slightly more economical, you have to soak them for a while and then cook them. Or you can open a can, drain and rinse the beans, and be ready to go!
- I prefer to grill the corn because it adds fabulous flavor and color, but if that's not possible for you, just blanch and cool it.
- Manage the level of spiciness to your taste. Use the measurement for the Cajun seasoning that I've included, then once it's all mixed together, taste it and add more if you want it spicier. I always recommend tasting food as you're making it anyway, to make sure it's got plenty of flavor.
- Avoid brown avocado chunks. I added the avocados to the bowl last and kept them in a pile, then poured the dressing directly on top of them before mixing everything. I was shocked when days later, my avocados were still green!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- The whole thing! Or grill the corn, chop the veggies (except avocado), and mix the dressing, then assemble closer to serving.
- Leftovers and storage- Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Give it a good stir before serving, and add an extra squeeze of lime if it seems dry.
Olga says
Jessy Freimann says