Black Bean Salad With Corn, Cilantro, and Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

Cilantro-flecked black beans and corn mingle with jalapeños, onions, and a crumble of corn chips in a tart and spicy vinaigrette.

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
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Updated April 15, 2025
Closeup of Black Bean Salad With Corn, Cilantro, and Chile-Lime Vinaigrette.

Serious Eats / Jennifer Olvera

Why It Works

  • Allowing the salad to marinate for one hour brings all of the flavors together.
  • Adding crumbled corn chips and chopped cilantro right before serving adds a nice crunch to the salad and keeps the herb vibrant and fresh.

I've been craving beans recently. Bright, summery bean salads, to be specific. This easy Southwestern-style rendition combines inky black beans, fresh jalapeños, and corn for a colorful and picnic-friendly dish.

The salad gets its bold flavor from a dose of bright-but-basic chili-lime vinaigrette, which provides a critical hit of acidity that prevents the beans from tasting dull. When I first made this salad, I felt like something was missing. The trick was adding some textural crunch and an extra hit of salt with a smattering of corn chips. It turns out they're the perfect foil, complementing the flavor of the sweet, juicy, just-shucked corn. After a final shower of cilantro, this barbecue-worthy side is hard to beat.

Make sure to prepare the salad at least an hour before you plan to eat it—you'll want to let the flavors meld—but wait to garnish it with the corn chips and cilantro until you're ready to dig in. You want the chips to remain crackly and the herbs vibrant and bright. You can let it marinate in the fridge for a chilled dish, or serve it at room temperature instead.

June 2014

Recipe Details

Black Bean Salad With Corn, Cilantro, and Chile-Lime Vinaigrette Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 10 mins
Marinating Time 60 mins
Total 65 mins
Serves 6 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion

  • 1 ear corn, boiled and shucked, kernels sliced off

  • 1 jalapeño, finely chopped

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice from 1 whole lime

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

  • 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin

  • 1/4 cup crumbled corn chips

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves and tender stems

Directions

  1. Combine beans, onion, corn, and jalapeño in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, vinegar, chile powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and whisk again.

  3. Toss vinaigrette with black bean mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. When you’re ready to serve the salad, add corn chips and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
159 Calories
7g Fat
21g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 420mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 220mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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