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This Black Bean Corn Salad is a fresh mix of canned black beans, corn, and sweet bell peppers in a zesty cilantro lime Italian dressing. It’s the best side dish for any meal or gathering.
Be sure and also try this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad for another summertime potluck favorite.
Black Bean and Corn Salad Recipe
This black bean corn salad is full of so much flavor, texture, and fresh veggies. It’s the perfect healthier side dish for summertime, gatherings, and potlucks.
Black beans, corn, and bell peppers are smothered in a zesty lime cilantro Italian dressing that starts with prepared Italian dressing from the store. It’s a simple way to get maximum flavor with little effort.
There are so many ways to customize this salad so read below for all my ideas!
Why You’ll Love This Side Dish Salad Recipe
- Customize – The best thing about this back bean corn side dish salad is that you can easily customize it however you want! Different beans, make it spicy, switch up the bell pepper colors, and even use fresh summer corn instead of canned.
- Healthy Option For Gatherings – It’s always nice to have a healthier option for potlucks and gathering, especially next to all the usual creamy side dishes and pasta side dishes.
- So Easy To Make – With only a few minutes of prep time, this black bean & corn salad is a cinch to prepare.
Ingredients Needed
- Black Beans – You will need 2 cans for this recipe. Make sure they are well drained & rinsed before using them.
- Frozen Corn – A 12 ounce bag is what the recipe calls for. For best results, make sure the corn is thawed before using. I place the bag of frozen corn on the counter about 1 hour prior to using it.
- Green & Red Bell Pepper – Adds color, flavor, and crunch!
- Italian Salad Dressing – I love the Olive Garden brand of Italian dressing. I think it tastes the best.
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Garlic Salt
- Cumin
- Chopped Fresh Cilantro
How To Make Black Bean Corn Salad with Italian Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the zesty lime cilantro Italian dressing ingredients.
- In a large bowl, or the serving bowl, add the black beans, corn, and chopped bell peppers. Stir to combine.
- Add the dressing into the veggies and stir until mixed.
- Serve right away or for the best flavor, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4-6 hours before serving.
FAQ’s + Expert Tips
- Dice Veggies Small – It’s important to dice the bell peppers into the same size as the corn and black beans. Chopped salads like this one are much easier, and more pleasing to eat, when everything is about the same size. That way, you get everything in each bite rather than one large piece of something.
- Should I Serve This Chilled? : I think this salad is always better served chilled and after it has had time to marinate in the fridge. I like to make it the morning of and then let it refrigerate until I need it. The flavors have time to meld together and it’s really so much better.
- Adaptable : Use any canned beans you prefer. Use any color of bell pepper. Add any dried seasonings that you want – garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, etc.
- Is This Spicy? : The recipe, as is, is not spicy at all. But you can easily make this salad spicy. Add chopped jalapeños, add chili powder or red cayenne pepper, or add some hot sauce in with the salad dressing ingredients.
- Use a Good Italian Salad Dressing : The flavor really shines through so make sure you’re using a good-quality dressing that you love the taste of. I highly recommend using the Olive Garden Italian dressing from the grocery store. It tastes the best, by far!
- Serving Suggestions : This salad is really good served with a spoon (as a side dish) or serve it as a salsa/dip with tortilla chips and Fritos corn chips.
I recommend serving this black bean corn salad chilled after it has had a few hours to marinate and get cold. This allows time for the flavors to intensify!
Black Bean Corn Salad
This Black Bean Corn Salad is a fresh mix of canned black beans, corn, and sweet bell peppers in a zesty cilantro lime Italian dressing. It's the best side dish for any meal or gathering.
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Italian Dressing
- 2/3 cup Italian salad dressing
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Black Bean Corn Salad
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans (drained & rinsed)
- 1 bag (12 oz) frozen yellow or white corn thawed
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the cilantro lime Italian dressing ingredients until combined well.2/3 cup Italian salad dressing, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon cumin
- In a mixing bowl, or in a serving bowl, add the black beans, corn, and bell peppers. Stir together.2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, 1 bag (12 oz) frozen yellow or white corn, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper
- Add the dressing into the salad and stir to combine.
- For best results, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-6 hours before serving.
Notes
Bell Pepper : Use any color combination you want! Make sure to dice them small, about the same size as the corn and black beans for the best results and appearance. Each bell pepper should yield about 1 cup of diced bell pepper.
Corn : To thaw this, place it at room temperature for 1-2 hours before using it. Or you can put it in the fridge overnight to thaw. You could also just add the corn into the serving bowl frozen if you are planning on recreating the salad for a few hours before serving it.
If there is excess water in the corn, make sure to drain it first before adding the corn to the salad bowl. You can also ub the frozen corn and use fresh corn kernels or canned corn. A 12 oz bag of frozen corn equals 2 1/2 cups of corn. You could also just add the corn into the serving bowl frozen if you are planning on recreating the salad for a few hours before serving it.
Nutrition
Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 2359mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
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