Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad

October 5, 2018 By Melissa Huggins / 76 Comments

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Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad ~ fast, easy, fresh and colorful! No cooking required - just chop the veggies and toss with a zesty Cilantro Lime Dressing.

If you're looking for something simple and delicious to add to your summer rotation, you may want to give this Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad a try!

It's light and refreshing, yet completely satisfying!

Plus, it's good for you, too! It's packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals!

You can serve it as a side dish or a light meal any day/time of the week. AND it's perfect for potlucks, barbecues, and picnics. It's a crowd favorite and will disappear fast!

You can serve it with tortilla chips, pita bread, crackers, rice or my favorite Skillet Corn Bread Recipe. The options are endless!

Leftovers are great too! I love having it for breakfast alongside Easy Tofu Scramble or with a Toasted Bagel with Almond Cream Cheese.

It's SO easy to make and most of the ingredients are probably in your kitchen now!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR THE CILANTRO LIME DRESSING:

(full ingredient amounts in the recipe card below)

Lime Juice
Olive Oil
Agave Nectar
Cilantro
Granulated Garlic
Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper

That's it!

HOW TO MAKE THE DRESSING FOR BLACK BEAN CORN SALAD

The dressing is a cinch and takes a few minutes to whip up! Just squeeze fresh lime juice and chop up some fresh cilantro.

Then whisk it together with the olive oil, agave, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Pretty easy, right?

The flavors are very easy to adjust too, so feel free to add more or less of the listed ingredients. You can also spice it up a bit with ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

DO YOU HAVE AN OIL-FREE DIET?

No problem, I've made this salad without the olive oil and it was still delicious! You may want to reduce the amount of lime so it doesn't overpower everything.

Alternatively, you can toss the veggies with the seasonings first and then just squeeze on the lime as needed.

REMAINING INGREDIENTS FOR THE AVOCADO BLACK BEAN CORN SALAD:

Black Beans
Avocado
Corn
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Onion
Cilantro

HOW TO PREP AND ASSEMBLE

Thaw the corn (place it in a colander and run under cool water. Drain really well)
Rinse and drain the black beans
Seed, cube, and dice the avocado
Clean and halve the cherry tomatoes
Dice the red onion
Chop the cilantro

Now, just add all the veggies in a large bowl (except the avocado) and pour the dressing over them. Toss gently to combine well.

Now, add the avocado on top and toss gently again or just leave them on top of the salad.

Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Serve immediately with fresh pita bread, tortilla chips or a side of rice. It's perfectly tasty on its own too.

I love adding a dollop of Vegan Sour Cream and a few dashes of hot sauce.

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS AVOCADO BLACK BEAN CORN SALAD

Avocados that are just-ripe work the best and won't get mushy in the salad.
Squeeze a little lime on the fresh-cut avocado to reduce browning.
To keep the salad looking vibrant, toss with the dressing, tomatoes, and avocado just before serving.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

ADD-ONS AND SUBSTITUTE IDEAS:

Fresh Jalapeños (deseeded)
Bell pepper
Mango
Arugula
Cucumber
Green Onion
Basil
Parsley

Enjoy!

INTERESTED IN SUMMER RECIPES? HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES:

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Creamy Vegan Coleslaw
Spinach Orzo Salad (by Veggies Save the Day)

I’d love to hear from you

If you make this Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

Recipe

More Vegan Soups and Salads

Comments

4.88 from 49 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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Kim

April 22, 2018 at 11:30 am

Hi Melissa, ca you tell me what size can of beans you use? I feel like these 30 oz cans I have could be too much. Thank you! Kim

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  April 22, 2018 at 12:57 pm
  
  Hi Kim, it's 2 15 oz cans of black beans. Sorry, I should've made that clear and I will change it in the recipe. Thank you for catching that. So, you would just need the one 30-ounce can that you have. Have a great Sunday! 🙂
  
  Reply
Ashley

March 26, 2018 at 6:07 pm

So good! I couldn't get enough of this salad. I didn't have agave so I used honey instead. I'll definitely make this again.

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  March 28, 2018 at 9:05 am
  
  Thank you, Ashley! I'm so happy you liked it. It's my favorite salad to make. Have a great week 🙂
  
  Reply
Carol

March 15, 2018 at 5:22 pm

I just made this tonight to find out what salads I want to make for parties this summer. Oh yes, this one is on the top of my list!!! It would be great with grilled salmon or a burger from the grill! So good, so good, so good!!! Thank you for posting!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  March 16, 2018 at 11:39 pm
  
  Hi Carol, Yay, this is so nice to hear! Thank you for making it! It's a summertime favorite of mine 🙂
  
  Reply
Julie

February 19, 2018 at 5:22 pm

It looks wonderful! What can you use instead of oil in the dressing. I can't use fat. Any suggestions.

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  February 22, 2018 at 11:40 pm
  
  Hi Julie, You can use this dressing instead 🙂 https://veganhuggs.com/avocado-cilantro-lime-dressing/ Thanks for stopping by 🙂
  
  Reply
Sarah Jarvis

August 18, 2017 at 6:49 pm

Hi! In your description you say cayenne pepper but your recipe says chili pepper; which do you use (or do you use them interchangeably?). Thanks!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  August 18, 2017 at 7:00 pm
  
  Hi Sarah, good eye! You're the first person who caught that error. I originally used cayenne, but it can be too spicy for a lot of people. You can definitely use it in replace of chili powder though. You can also use cumin to replace it too. Thank for spotting that. I fixed it. Have a great weekend!
  
  Reply
Ruthie

July 13, 2017 at 9:34 am

AMAZING! I thought I had black beans but did not so I used garbanzo beans instead. Couldn't quite squeeze out enough lime juice because I only had tiny key limes so half of the juice was replaced with red wine vinegar. I had a lot of tomatoes so I just chopped them up. Added a dash of cumin too. I've been with my boyfriend for over ten years and he sais that was the best salad he'd ever had!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  July 13, 2017 at 10:27 am
  
  Hi Ruthie, Oh, awesome...this is so nice to hear! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. The garbanzo beans must've been fabulous in there...I must try that next time. Good idea about the red wine vinegar too. So happy that this salad is boyfriend approved. Tell him, thanks too 🙂
  
  Reply
Laura

July 08, 2017 at 10:46 am

This is absolutely fabulous! I make this dish often and it's always a hit. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  July 10, 2017 at 6:58 pm
  
  Hi Laura, thank you so much! I'm glad you like it. I've been making it a lot this summer. 🙂
  
  Reply
Charlie

June 27, 2017 at 3:48 pm

Great salad! Made it tonight and my wife and I loved it. Our son who is into weight lifting and healthy eating could'nt get enough of it. I'm going to make it for our 4th of July bbq.

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  June 27, 2017 at 4:19 pm
  
  Hi Charlie, thank you for sharing your feedback... it's so nice to hear. I'm so happy your family loved it! I'll be making it for the 4th too 🙂
  
  Reply
Sue

June 24, 2017 at 10:33 pm

Hi! This was a big hit at a BBQ today 🙂 I roasted 3 ears of corn and added that, and used honey because i didn't have agave...then my sister said we needed to kick up the spice, so i chopped up a jalapeno and added that too....DELISH!!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  June 25, 2017 at 5:26 pm
  
  Hi Sue, thank you for making it! I'm so happy everyone loved it. I need to add jalapeño next time too. 🙂
  
  Reply
Kassie

June 19, 2017 at 2:37 pm

What is the serving size? Thx. 🙂

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  June 25, 2017 at 5:34 pm
  
  Hi Kassie, it's about 1.5 cups. 🙂
  
  Reply
  - Kassie
    
    June 26, 2017 at 9:02 am
    
    Thank you! Hoping to make this for a gathering this week. 🙂 Looks phenomenal!
  - Melissa Huggins
    
    June 28, 2017 at 11:36 pm
    
    Thank you! Enjoy! 🙂
Emily GC

June 19, 2017 at 10:57 am

Just made this tonight and we both loved it. Where I live they don't sell cilantro, so I used basil leaves instead, and one drop of Cilantro essential oil (that I have) and it gave wonderful flavor. This will be a keeper!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  June 19, 2017 at 12:13 pm
  
  Hi Emily, thank you for making it. I'm so happy you both loved it! It sounds wonderful with the basil and cilantro oil. I must remember to try this. 🙂 Have a great week!
  
  Reply
Marla

June 17, 2017 at 1:11 pm

Wonderful recipe! Making this as part of our Father's Day feast! Thanks!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  June 17, 2017 at 2:35 pm
  
  Hi Marla, thank you so much! I'm so happy you liked it. Enjoy your day tomorrow 🙂
  
  Reply
Laurel

June 06, 2017 at 6:30 pm

I just made this tonight. We couldn't stop eating it. My children loved it, and my son asked to take it to school tomorrow in his lunch. Here is something you may or may not find helpful -- I made it ahead of time but did not add the avocado or tomato until it was dinnertime, and I only added it to the serving bowl on the table and not to the entire bowl.
I also added red cabbage.
So basically, I have a big bowl of the salad, dressed, in my fridge, minus the avocado and tomato. When we are ready to eat, we stir in some fresh sliced tomato and avocado.

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  June 06, 2017 at 8:08 pm
  
  Hi Laurel, It's so nice to hear this! I'm so happy your family liked this salad...it's one of our favorites too. Thank you for the helpful tip. I will make a note in the recipe. Oh, and the red cabbage sounds wonderful in there. I need to try this next time 🙂
  
  Reply
Mary Wright

May 07, 2017 at 9:17 am

Very good salad!
I've been looking for a cilantro-lime dressing recipe, similar to one I used to get at a Mexican restaurant, and loved!! This is the closest I've found! I may add a touch of vanilla next time! Thank you!!!

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  May 08, 2017 at 9:36 pm
  
  Hi Mary, I'm so happy you found what you were looking for. I make this salad a lot, because my son loves it. It's so easy and quick to make. Thank you for your feedback. Have a wonderful week! 🙂
  
  Reply
Shelley

December 07, 2016 at 2:15 pm

Super good, just a bit too much lime juice for me. I added a bit of honey to counteract the lime. Love the combo.

Reply
- Melissa Huggins
  
  December 08, 2016 at 5:14 pm
  
  Hi Shelley, I'm so glad you liked it.It's a good idea to balance out the lime with sweetener. I think I'll suggest that in the recipe section. Thank you for the tip. 🙂
  
  Reply

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