Fresh Black Bean Salad
This Southwestern black bean salad recipe is healthy and delicious! This fresh black bean salad is perfect for potlucks, parties and busy weeks.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
The inspiration for this black bean salad recipe goes way back. It goes all the way back to my very first recipe post over seven years ago. I was just learning to cook for myself after college, and I started making that black bean salsa on repeat.
This Mexican-ish/Southwestern black bean salad recipe is based on my old salsa recipe, but it’s way better.
Back then, Cookie and Kate was just a creative project. Well, Cookie (my dog) and I very much existed, but the blog was just to keep me from losing my mind at a boring office job.
I finally shared that recipe, and realized that I could wrap stories and photos around a healthy, approachable recipe. Seven years later, I work on this blog full-time and have a cookbook under my belt. I’m not bored at work any more! I love what I do. Thank you for letting me do it.
How to Make the Best Black Bean Salad
The base of this recipe is black beans, of course. I used canned beans, so this recipe comes together quickly and easily. Here’s what I changed to make this recipe so tasty:
- I switched to a combination of cherry tomato and bell pepper for a more interesting texture, color and flavor.
- I added lime zest for extra lime flavor without drowning the salad in liquid.
- And, I actually offered amounts of vinegar and salt, since I know better now. Lime juice and white wine vinegar give it such a nice zing.
- I served individual portions with fresh avocado on top, rather than mixing the avocado into the salad, since it will deteriorate before the rest does.
How to Serve Black Bean Salad
Like all of my other bean salads, this recipe is great to keep in the fridge on busy weeks. This salad is perfect for parties, too. It’s a healthy side dish on its own. You can also serve it as black bean salsa with tortilla chips.
Here are some ways to keep your leftovers interesting:
- Serve it on fresh greens, perhaps with an extra spritz of lime juice for dressing. Feta, avocado and/or crumbled tortilla chips would be great on top.
- Pile it onto cheese nachos to make them more redeeming.
- Use it as a filling for burritos or quesadillas (just leave as much of the liquid behind in the bowl as possible).
- Make Southwestern lettuce wraps—serve spoonfuls of it on butter lettuce, topped with avocado and/or feta. Come to think of it, I’m describing something similar to the Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad in Lettuce Cups recipe in my book (page 123).
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I’m always so eager to hear from you and hope you love this bean salad.
Watch How to Make Black Bean Salad
Fresh Black Bean Salad
This Southwestern black bean salad recipe is healthy and delicious! This fresh black bean salad is perfect for potlucks, parties and busy weeks. Recipe yields 4 large or up to 8 side servings.
Ingredients
- 3 cans of black beans (15 ounces each) or 4 ½ cups cooked black beans, rinsed and well-drained
- 2 ears of corn, shucked, or 1 cup of canned corn (drained) or defrosted frozen corn
- 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped red onion (from 1 small onion)
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (about ½ medium bunch)
- 1 medium jalapeño, finely chopped (keep the seeds for heat if you’d like, or remove them for mild flavor) or 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeño
- ½ teaspoon lime zest (from 1 lime, preferably organic)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime), to taste
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Optional garnishes: sliced avocado, crumbled feta, lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss to combine. Taste, and adjust as necessary until the flavors really pop—I usually add another teaspoon or two of vinegar (you can use lime juice instead, for more mild flavor) and another ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Cover and chill to enhance the flavors—preferably for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Serve in individual bowls as is, or with any of the garnishes listed. Leftovers keep well for up to 4 days or so; you might want to wake up the flavors with an extra squeeze of lime juice or tiny splash of vinegar.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Absolutely love this recipe! I just recently decided to go vegetarian and this is my go-to for lunch time! I just put it on top of some brown rice and warm it up— SO good.
Thank you, Erica!
I’m always looking for vegetraian and vegan recipes
You’ve come to the right place, Ruby! Enjoy.
Yum!
Hey Kate,
I never leave comments but I’ve made this so many times (my husband asks me to make it constantly!), so I thought a comment was necessary. Amazing blend of tastes, this black bean salad is wonderful. Thanks for posting this recipe :)
Sarah
Yum! This is so good! I’ve made several of your recipes and they are all delicious. Thank you so much
Well, thank you Esmee! I appreciate the review.
I make this at the beginning of every week and eat it with some protein for lunch and/or dinner. I use it as a substitute for rice, potatoes any carbs really. It’s absolutely delicious and I never tire of eating it
I love the variety that you prepare this salad with! Thanks for sharing, Claire. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it.
Hi! Can I sub the white wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar! Your recipes are so simple and always delicious!!
I would recommend lemon juice instead, if you don’t have apple cider vinegar available.
Kate, thank you for my go-to summer bean salad. The mix of sweet, acid, and heat is perfect. My foodie dinner friends last night all requested the recipe; they’ll add to your substantial fan-base.
I added the additional vinegar and salt. Being corn season, I added an additional ear of corn.
I’m looking forward to the amazon box with your book!
Thank you! Enjoy the salad and the book, Scott. I appreciate the time you took to review.
I made this to go with a bbq here in sunny England. I got so many compliments. so easy to make yet so delicious. The cumin in the dressing was scrummy.
A great choice for a a bbq! Thanks for sharing, Henrietta.
Hi Kate, I had forgotten how delicious this salad is! Served it with slow cooker mac & cheese for dinner last night. I really like that you mix the whole salad at one time, no separate dressing to prepare, and also that the dressing just “dresses” the ingredients and does not drown them!! Perfect summer meal – easy, make ahead, no use of the stove :) Thanks, again, for sharing!
I’m glad you went back to it, Kris! Your so welcome. Thanks for the review!
Made this recipe yesterday and it get better with each serving! Feta and avacodo added is amazing! I am a lime lover so I do measure I just pour! Crumbled chips just add to the awesomeness. I will be trying with soft flour tortillas. Might even have as a side to my scrambled eggs tomorrow! Look forward to more awesome recipes and will be looking forward to purchasing your book! Thanks, Lisa
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
I absolutely love this black bean salad and I have made it numerous times this summer. Today I added curry powder by mistake instead of cumin and it still turned out great! Thank you Katie for such delicious and health recipes!
You’re welcome, Jules! Thanks for your comment and review. :)
Just made the fresh black bean salad for the second time. Remembered how tasty it was but forgot what a gorgeous presentation it offers. Looking forward to my next summer potluck now that homegrown Illinois tomatoes are making the scene. ( I used an orange bell pepper and bright red grape tomatoes.) Counting the minutes until it is chilled and ready for my dinner. We’ve had lots of heat and humidity so it makes a light and tasty summer salsa/salad. Thanks for sharing your creativity. Forgot where you are based ~ I have a couple of handsome young great nephews in K.C. Mo. Blessings! p.snyder
Thank you, Trish for your review!
Hi there – I just made this for a party I’m hosting this evening and I accidentally added the oil even though I wanted to service this alongside chips as a dip. Think that would still work or should I just make it a salad? Thanks in advance! Not sure how soon you will see this but thought I’d give it a try :)
How did it go? It should still work. Thanks for the review, Cristina!
It went great, no one seemed to notice the difference and I’m still eating leftovers as a dip :) Received many compliments on this, as usual. Thanks for the reply! I’ve asked for your cookbook as a birthday gift this year :)
Love, love your recipes, I have to stop looking at them, want to make everyone of it, I made cowboy caviar for a picnic it went great, sometime I just make them for myself and eat it during the week, love it!!
I love that! This made my day. :) I really appreciate the review.
Delicious! Used cayenne instead of a jalapeno pepper for the heat. Very easy to make and was a crowd pleaser. Also kept well in fridge for days afterwards. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Jen! I really appreciate the review.
so good! thank you!
Welcome, Maia! Thanks for your review.
Hola Arepa is a must try! The food is fantastic and the flavors are out of this world.
I love this salad. Its filing and delicious! You can always add more lime to suit your needs but the salad is great! My wife is going to make me another batch for work.
Thanks for sharing!!
I made it! It was yummy-even though I realized once I started I had run out of jalapenos!
Great, Carole!
Yum! And that was just the tasting to check the flavour- the flavours haven’t even become friends yet! This will become a staple salad for me. Thanks
Great, Joy! Thanks so much for your review.
I sprinkle a layer of this salad on a slice of bread, then cover with shredded cheddar and another slice of bread—to make an enhanced toasted cheese sandwich. Instant hot meal! lol
Sounds great, Nancy!
Is it possible to substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the white wine vinegar? It’s not available where I live
Sure!
Great recipe. Make this NOW with fresh sweet corn, maybe 3 ears. I made dry beans from scratch in my pressure cooker. ‘Lettys Kitchen’ has great guidelines for pressure cooking black beans. Just be sure to rinse or strain them before mixing with other ingredients as recipe notes.
Thank you, Jackie!
Delicious and healthy. This is one of my family’s favorites. I add extra tomatoe from garden and omit cilantro – bc my husband does not care for it and it is still great. Has just enough tang and zest and a little sweetness from the corn. All over great recipe.
Great to hear, Diane! I’m glad you were able to make it so all could enjoy it. Thanks so much for your review!
Great recipe, thank you. I made some modifications: I have trained my tastebuds to taste the flavor of the veggies by leaving out the SOS(salt oil sugar).
Takes some time to adjust with everything seaming bland for a while, but then your tastebuds recover from the SOS overload and you discover how good they really taste without all the added stuff. Try it for 3 weeks, come on you can do anything for just 3 weeks right?
Thanks for sharing, George!
This is hands down, my most favorite salad!! I have shared it with friends (rave reviews) and make it every few weeks. I eat it for snacks, lunch, dinner, and before bed! The first time I made this I didn’t have limes, but I did have lemons, so I made it with lemon juice and lemon zest and it was still fantastic! Thank you, Kate, keep the recipes coming!
Thanks, Rita for the review!
Calling a recipe fresh when the first line says open 3 cans….not.
Hi Beth, the recipe offers canned or freshly cooked bean options for convenience. The recipe is loaded with fresh produce. Enjoy!
LOVED it. brought to work for lunch and everyone wanted some. I have had to share the recipe with many others. so delicious, easy and nice to be able to vary it according to taste, available ingredients and creativity.
I did use dried beans which took quite a long time to cook but I freeze them into small bags so that they are good to add to burritos etc.
What a good feeling! Lunch envy. :) Thank you for sharing, Sherry.
Thank you! I LOVE this recipe and make it most weeks to have in the fridge for lunch ❤️
Great to have in the fridge for the week! I agree. Thanks, Jackie for sharing.
Made this today: delicious! :)
Wonderful! Thanks for reviewing, Ailia!
Since this makes a lot and it’s just me, I heated it and added to eggs with some cheese for a southwestern scramble. Yummy!
That sounds delicious, Sandy! Great way to use this salad. Thanks for your review.
Everyone loved this. Lasted a few days
Great to hear, Linda!
My mom and everyone else loved this recipe. I’ve made it 3 days in a row now!
Made this for my 12 yo. She loves veggies but not a huge fan of meat. This gives her some protein too. It was amazing we used it as salsa as well. Do not change a thing!
Yum. I liked the way it makes a lot. It is as good as any black bean salad I have had, and you can make it pop more with more lime and salt.
Thank you for sharing, Shelley!
Wow, I just finished tossing together all the ingredients with a plan to immediately cover & refrigerate to marinate, but it smelled SO GOOD, I could not resist – I HAD to gobble a spoonful – it is absolutely delicious! I omitted the cilantro, doubled the amount of frozen corn and pan-roasted it for extra sweetness & flavour. Tomatoes, avocado and additional lime will added just before serving. Thanks so much Cookie & Kate for a simple, vegan and delicious recipe!
Hooray!! I’m so excited you loved it.
Served this for dinner on top of Guerrero tostados with guacamole (1 avocado, 1/2 mashed garlic clove, 1 tsp lime juice, dash of salt and pepper), light sour cream, and lime wedges on the side. It was a HUGE hit and very satisfying too.
I made these changes to the basic recipe.
Replace 1 can of black beans with canned pintos for visual appeal.
Increase the cumin to 1.5 tsp. We like more flavor! Instead of red onion, I used a sweet onion. Increased cilantro to 3/4 cup. Increase chili powder to 1.5 tsp. Decreased vinegar to 2 T. Added 1 T sugar to dressing. Used both fresh and pickled jalapeno per recipe. Added 2 ounces crumbled sheep’s milk feta.
Thanks for sharing!
I made this today and it was delicious and beautiful, too! The only change I made was to use a serrano chile instead of jalapeno. I’ll definitely hold onto this recipe, thanks!
Thanks for sharing your variation, Leslie!
The best black bean salad I’ve ever made. The lime juice and zest make it so fresh, tangy and somehow a little sweet.
I’m glad you think so, Nathalie!
This is so good! I didn’t have chili powder so I used northwoods fire seasoning from penzeys, 1/2 more teaspoon of cumin. I also didn’t have white wine vinegar so I used red wine vinegar. Oh and I added more lime zest and juice. I love it!
Great to hear, Sherri!
I’ve made it numerous times and everyone who’s tried it cant stop eating! I partner it with some nacho chips and top it with a bit more cilantro and crumbled feta. Its my favorite food to bring to potluck get togethers. Easy to make and such a crowd pleaser! Thanks for the recipe!!!
I love the sound of that combination! Thanks for your review, Jade.
Hi C&K, made the recipe, used dried black beans (seem to hold up better than canned for leftovers), added 2-jalapenos, and kept the tomatoes as a topping. I was worried that adding the tomatoes would shorten the life of leftovers. This is very good, made, a salad topped with the black beans, tacos; used Cotija cheese, and I am thinking for Sunday morning it will make make a great filling for an omelette. Love your recipes!!!
Thank you for sharing! This would be delicious with an omelette!
Best Black Bean salad I’ve ever had!!!
I’m happy you loved it, Helen!
Yummy! Replaced the cilantro with fresh parsley for the non cilantro people in our fam and it was a hit. Will definitely make again.
Great to hear, Carmen!
Love it! I made it 3 times.Each time it came out a little different because I had different ingredients on hand.It syill tasted great. My family loves it.
Great to hear, Sue!
Made this tonight and it is wonderful! Added about 2 cloves of garlic (pressed), cayenne pepper, and some roasted poblanos also! Was totally surprised by the vinegar, so good!! THANKS! :)
You’re welcome, Laura!
Yummy! Was so easy and delicious. We didn’t even let it sit in the fridge before eating.
Thank you, Jennifer!
We made this last week and loved it. In fact, I am making it again! It gets better every day and lasted 4 days in my fridge. One of the best recipes I have made in awhile, and very filling and healthy, too! Thank you!
I made this for a family reunion and everyone loved it. Thank you:)
Wow its such a colorful salad. Thank you for posting such a fabulous recipe.