Mexican Bean Salad with Corn — Such a fast and easy recipe to make! Plus, it’s loaded with flavor and textures galore. Two kinds of beans, juicy corn and tomatoes, crisp peppers, and green onions are tossed in a lime-chili-cumin vinaigrette that’s perfectly light!!
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Healthier Bean Salad with Corn
This corn and bean salad is great for summertime potlucks and picnics, and it’s also great for lunch or as a meatless dinner.
You don’t even need to turn on your oven. Love these types of recipes in the summer!
This Mexican-inspired salad with beans and corn is healthy, loaded with fiber and protein, naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. If you omit the cheese, it becomes accidentally vegan.
I’m all for skinny, bikini-friendly salads especially this time of year. I couldn’t stop eating it!
Ingredients in Corn and Bean Salad
For the corn and bean salad, you’ll need:
- Canned black beans and kidney beans
- Canned corn
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Red bell pepper
- Queso fresco
- Green onions
- Fresh cilantro
And for the bean salad dressing, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Agave or honey
- Spices (chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper)
Can I Substitute the Queso Fresco?
I had queso fresco cheese in my fridge, which is a classically Mexican, mild-flavored, cow’s milk cheese. I get it at my regular grocery store but you can add another favorite cheese if you can’t find it.
How to Make Bean Salad with Corn
The Mexican-inspired bean corn salad comes together quickly and easily. Nothing to cook, and a simple whisk-together dressing makes for minimal hands on prep!
Follow these basic instructions:
- Prep the veggies (dice the bell pepper, halve the tomatoes, etc).
- Combine everything in a large bowl and set aside.
- Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper to suit your tastes.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- This corn and bean salad needs to chill in the fridge for a few hours to give the flavors time to come together. This is a crucial step, so don’t skip it!
Storage Instructions
This kidney bean, black bean, and corn salad will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You’ll need to store it covered, though.
The longer the salad sits in the fridge, the more liquid will collect at the bottom of the bowl. If that bothers you, either drain some of it off or give the salad a good stir to redistribute the dressing.
To liven up the leftover corn and bean salad, sprinkle on some fresh cilantro or squeeze extra lime juice on top.
Tips for the Best Bean Salad
Make sure to drain and rinse the canned beans before tossing them in the salad. You want to rinse off any excess salt and liquid stuck to the beans.
This Mexican corn and bean salad calls for canned corn, but you can substitute fresh or frozen corn instead. In general, any of these ingredients can be changed as you see fit (green bell pepper can be used in place of red, agave can be used in place of honey, etc).
And if you like spicy foods, you may want to add some finely diced jalapeño to this bean and corn salad. Remove the seeds first if you don’t want it to be too spicy!
What to Serve with Bean and Corn Salad
Enjoy the corn and bean salad as an entree, or serve it alongside your choice of protein. I love scooping up the salad with homemade tortilla chips, too!
Some of my favorite Mexican recipes to make with this salad are:
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
- Grilled Pineapple Chicken
- Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats
- Mango Salsa Salmon
- Grilled Lime Cilantro Chicken
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Skinny Mexican Bean Salad with Corn
Ingredients
Salad
- one 15.25-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used no-salt added)
- one 15.25-ounce can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used 50% reduced sodium)
- one 15.25-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed (I used no-salt added; fresh or frozen corn may be substituted)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if desired
- ¾ cup red bell peppers, diced small
- ¾ cup queso fresco, diced small (another cheese may be substituted)
- ½ cup green onions, sliced into thin rounds
- â…“ cup fresh cilantro, finely minced, or to taste
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 tablespoon agave or honey
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Salad
- To a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine; set aside.
Dressing
- To a medium bowl, add all ingredients, whisk to combine, pour over salad, and toss to combine.
- Taste salad, check for seasoning balance, and make any necessary flavor adjustments, i.e. more salt, pepper, vinegar, honey, etc. and add as desired.
- Cover, refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to marry, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days, noting more liquid will collect as time passes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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