Southwest Black Bean Salad (Printable)

Vibrant salad with black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, and tangy lime dressing for a refreshing meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1 medium avocado, diced (optional)

→ Lime Vinaigrette

08 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Method:

01 - In a large bowl, mix black beans, corn, diced red and yellow bell peppers, finely chopped red onion, and cilantro. Add diced avocado if desired.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently to ensure even coating of all ingredients.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in less time than it takes to chill a beer, yet tastes like you actually tried.
  • The vinaigrette is so good you'll find yourself dipping chips directly into the bowl when nobody's looking.
  • It genuinely tastes better the longer it sits, which means you can make it ahead and actually relax.
02 -
  • If you let this sit for even 30 minutes, the flavors actually deepen and marry together in a way that makes it better than when you first made it.
  • Don't drown it in vinaigrette thinking more is better, because the beans will absorb liquid and by tomorrow it'll taste oversalted.
03 -
  • Toast your cumin and chili powder in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding them to the vinaigrette if you want the flavors to really sing.
  • Don't chop the cilantro until the last moment before serving or it'll darken and lose some of that bright green color that makes the whole bowl look appetizing.
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