This black bean and corn salad is not so much a recipe as a “throw everything we adore into a big bowl and stir” kind of thing. It’s also fantastic when you make it in advance, which means it’s perfect for meal prepping and gatherings. It’s fresh, crisp, and a little smoky from smoked paprika, which takes this salad to a new level! If you love easy salads like this, here’s another black bean salad with quinoa and our fresh corn salad.
Key Ingredients
Black Beans: I use canned black beans, but drain and rinse them before adding them to the bowl with the other salad ingredients. You can also cook dried black beans from scratch. Here’s our black beans recipe if you need it. Corn: I love raw corn in this salad (the same goes for this corn salad). I’m often asked if raw corn is okay to eat, and I’m here to say yes! Raw corn is super crisp, sweet, and crunchy, and it’s excellent in this recipe. You could also grill the corn until blistered and add it to this salad like I do for this grilled avocado guacamole. Rinsed canned or thawed frozen corn are good substitutes. Tomatoes: I love the pop of sweetness from fresh tomatoes. Use what you love. I look for a juicy, sweet tomato. The tomato releases juices as it sits with the other salad ingredients, making the dressing even more delicious. Onion, Garlic, and Jalapeño: Sweet or white onion is great here. I add a little garlic, and the jalapeño adds a bit of heat. If you are sensitive to spicy food, remove the seeds and white membrane from inside the pepper before chopping it (that’s where most of the heat is). Lime and Olive Oil: Fresh lime juice and olive oil combine with salt and pepper for our simple dressing. I love it! Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika tastes smoky (as the name suggests) but isn’t spicy (unless you specifically use Hungarian or hot-smoked paprika). Chipotle powder is also excellent here but is spicy, so add to your taste.
How to Make Black Bean and Corn Salad
You’ll need a large bowl to toss everything together for this super easy black bean and corn salad. Seriously, it’s that simple! You’ll need to remove the kernels if you’re using fresh corn. First, husk the corn by peeling off the tough outer leaves and silky threads. Then, stand the corn cob upright on a cutting board, holding it steady. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice downwards along the cob, removing the kernels. This easy black bean salad has so many serving options. You can serve it with grilled chicken, juicy pork chops, Asian marinated shrimp, scrambled eggs, or whatever else you can think of. You can also serve it like a salsa with homemade tortilla chips or as a topping for grilled bread or bruschetta. It’s also incredible in these veggie burritos or on top of these delicious shrimp tacos. 2 medium ears corn or 2 cups corn kernels 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely minced 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Salt to taste 2Season to taste with salt— start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there. 3Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving.
