This make-ahead and festive black bean salad is a huge crowd-pleaser. Perfect for a summer cookout!

This black bean salad recipe was sent to me by one of my readers, Ellen Koh. It’s a huge crowd-pleaser and, over the years, it has become one of the most popular recipes on my website. Readers consistently give it rave reviews!

This salad is ideal for entertaining because you can make it ahead of time — in fact, you should because it gets better and better the longer it sits. Try pairing it with my Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken and Cornbread Muffins for a delicious (and easy!) Southwestern-inspired cookout.

What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette

How To Make Black Bean Salad with Corn, Avocado & Lime Vinaigrette

Begin by cooking the corn in boiling salted water.

A few minutes is all it takes — you want it super crisp. Refresh the corn under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Place the corn on a clean dish towel set over a cutting board, then use a serrated knife to cut the kernels of the cobs. (The dish towel both dries the corn and prevents it from bouncing all over the place.)

Next, rinse and drain the black beans. Combine the corn and black beans with the remaining ingredients, except for the avocado.

Toss and chill until ready to serve.

Before serving, dice the avocado and add to the salad. It’s important to add the avocado at the last minute to keep it from turning brown.

Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. You may find that it needs a bit more salt or a squirt of lime juice, as the flavors tend to mellow in the fridge.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!

You May Also Like