You’ll love this quick and easy Black Bean and Corn Salad! It’s low in calories and fat free, a perfect summer side dish to complement grilled foods.

I first tasted a similar Black Bean and Corn Salad a couple of years ago, not long after we moved here. It’s very American I think, not the kind of salad you would typically find on dinner tables back home in the UK.

There’s not much to it in terms of ingredients, but it tastes lovely with fresh lime juice and is especially good if you can get Farmers Market corn when it’s in season. I have a nifty little tool for cutting the corn off the cob, but if you don’t have that a sharp knife is perfectly adequate.

If you can’t get fresh corn then I think that frozen corn is nicer than canned, there’s no sugar added and if you use frozen it will help to chill the rest of the salad more quickly. You don’t need to defrost the corn either, just toss it in the bowl as it is.

The dressing is better with fresh lime juice, but the last time I made it I used bottled lime juice and it was still tasty. You can add in a little hot sauce if you like, I think it gives it a nice little kick but I also know it means that my kids won’t eat it if it’s hot, so it’s really up to you.

You can make it a couple of hours ahead or even the day before and it will still taste good.

I have found that the black beans can go slightly more mushy if it’s left too long, the taste wasn’t affected but it didn’t look quite as appetizing the next day so you might want to bear that in mind if you plan to serve this to guests.