Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad (With Video)

Have you been chosen to bring a side dish at an outdoor BBQ, but not sure what to make? Today is your lucky day!

This salad is a celebration of summer deliciousness (although it is wonderful year-round). It's bright, vibrant, and deep in flavor. And the best thing is you can do all the prep work up to a day or two in advance, and then assemble just before serving! WIN!

VIDEO ALERT: Be sure to check out the video for this recipe in the recipe card. If you like the video, subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

A large white serving bowl filled with black bean and corn salad with two gold serving spoons tucked in beside the salad.

How To Make Black Bean and Corn Salad

There are so many things to love about this salad.

First, of course, is the taste. So fresh! But, almost just as great (almost), is how easy this salad is to put together (once you're done prepping).

Delicious and easy! Who could ask for anything more?

Preparing the Corn

As mentioned, all of the prep work can be done up to 1 to 2 days in advance of assembling the salad for serving.

This includes the corn. Fresh, sweet summer corn adds amazing flavor and color to this gorgeous salad.

EXPERT TIP: We think grilling the corn and then cutting the kernels from the cob is delicious and beautiful, too. Simply rub a little olive oil over 4 ears of shucked corn, and grill until lightly charred in places. Remove, and once cool enough to handle, use a large knife to cut away the kernels. In a pinch, you can use two 14 oz. frozen corn. Thaw and cook according to package instructions (you may have more than 2¼ cups).

Next, it's time to add all the prepped veggies into a large bowl.

The combination of the following ingredients makes one of the freshest and most delicious salads we've ever had or served:

Grilled sweet corn - cut from the cob
Black beans (canned) - rinsed
Red bell pepper - seeded and chopped
Jalapeno - seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
Red onion - finely chopped
Avocado - peeled, pit removed, and roughly chopped

EXPERT TIP: All of the veggies (except for the avocado) can be prepped up 2 days in advance. You can also make the dressing up to a couple of days in advance. About an hour before serving, prep the avocado, add to the other veggies and beans with the dressing, mix together, cover, and chill for about an hour...and then serve!

How To Dress the Salad

The wonderful vegetables and black beans need a zesty dressing to bring it all together.

We love the combination of a little sweetness from the honey with savory soy, lime juice, and cilantro.

EXPERT TIP: In order for all the components of the dressing to mix, you'll need to emulsify them, or fully integrate them. This can easily be achieved by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the jar vigorously for about a minute, and you'll see the dressing has thickened and become homogenous. Don't worry if the chopped cilantro separates and floats to the top, this is normal. Always give the dressing a good solid shake in the bottle before adding it to the salad. This can also be achieved by whisking the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until mixed.

Go ahead and pour the emulsified dressing all over the veggies and black beans.

The smell is nothing short of amazing.

And the combination of colors is truly spectacular.

Tips for Making Black Bean and Corn Salad

Fresh is Best - Go with fresh vegetables. Canned black beans work just fine here, however, if you prefer, you can soak dried beans overnight, and then gently simmer them for a few hours before draining.
Adapt to Tastes - This salad has a tiny bit of zing to it, mostly from the finely chopped jalapeno. As long as you remove all of the seeds and the ribs on the interior of the pepper, you will get minimal heat. If you want no heat at all, then simply omit the peppers, or only use half. If you want more, go with 2 peppers, or leave some of the seeds in. Chopped tomatoes are a nice substitute for red bell peppers, if you desire.
Storing - This salad is really best served fresh. We don't recommend assembling the day before serving. If serving outdoors, you may want to consider placing the salad in a bowl that sits in another bowl filled with ice. It will stay nice and fresh indoors for several hours.

Use a couple of large wooden spoons to gently mix the salad together.

When To Serve

We've said it before, and we'll say it again, this is a wonderful dish to serve at an outdoor BBQ.

It's so good, however, you can serve it year-round with great results. Because it has a bit of a zest to it, it's a wonderful side to a Mexican or Tex-Mex dinner party.

Looking for other amazing BBQ dishes? Try our:

Southern Baked Beans
Classic Pasta Salad
Best-Ever Potato Salad
Classic Coleslaw
Slow-Cooker Corn on the Cob
Cajun Coleslaw

And we just love this amazing bean and grilled corn salad!

Every time we serve this salad, so many folks want the recipe.

And we seldom have any leftovers.

If you're looking for a delicious side dish that's not the run-of-the-mill standards...this Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad is the one for you!

So good and so beautiful!

Ready to make the best side dish on the block? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!