This easy Mexican bean salad is loaded with corn, beans, peppers,
and cilantro in a homemade lime dressing. A healthy recipe for summer gatherings.
It’s summer here. If I couldn’t look at a calendar, the 110° heat index outside would let me know. (I would laugh but it’s too hot!).
But that means it is the perfect time for this cold, easy, healthy Mexican bean and corn salad. It’s a great time for perfectly fresh vegetables. Beans give this dish some protein and fiber. And the homemade dressing is easy and MUCH better than anything you’ll find on a grocery store shelf.
If you’re looking for more great sides, check out the “Side Dishes” page.
One of the great things about this recipe is how healthy it is. If you’re looking for more healthy recipes, try “Easy Chili Lime Shrimp & Vegetables,” “Tilapia Veracruz,” or “Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks.”
Notes About the Recipe
This salad is very easy to make. That being said, I usually use a shortcut to make it even easier. You can easily substitute frozen corn (thawed for recipe) instead of having to boil ears of corn and cutting the kernels off. 1 ear of corn=3/4 C. frozen kernels. So, for this recipe, you would use a total of 3 C. of frozen corn. You can either thaw corn on counter or use microwave defrosting feature.
It is best served rested for a few hours (to allow flavors to develop) and chilled. But it’s still good if you need to serve it immediately.
I use an herb grinder (I got it from Pampered Chef originally but they don’t make it anymore). And the knock-off brands on Amazon have horrible reviews. So I’m not going to link to them. But you can chop the cilantro the old-fashioned way too, of course- with a knife and cutting board.
Mexican Bean Salad Dressing
The homemade dressing for Mexican bean salad is quick and easy. Olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice provide the liquid.
For (more) flavor, salt, ground cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper are mixed in.
The garlic is completely optional. My husband loves garlic. I can’t stand it. It makes for some interesting compromises in the kitchen…haha.
You can also add extra cilantro if you would like.
Mexican Bean Salad Recipe
Mexican Bean Salad
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 4 ears corn *see notes for easy substitute
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can light red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can Great northern beans drained and rinsed
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 yellow pepper diced
- 1/2 C. red onion diced
- 2 jalapenos seeded and diced
- 1/3 C. cilantro diced
Dressing
- 6 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. lime juice
- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced (optional)
Instructions
- Mise en place.
- Shuck corn and remove the silk. Place in a large pot and over with water. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Cool. Cut corn kernels off of ears. Place corn in a large bowl.
- Add beans, peppers, onion, and jalapeño. Stir. Mix in cilantro.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.
- Pour dressing over bean and corn mixture. Stir well.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. (If chilling for than 2 hours, remove from fridge approximately 15 minutes before serving to allow oil to warm. Mix salad well.)
Notes
What Did You Think?
What did you think of this Mexican Bean Salad? Anything you loved? Anything you hated? Feel free to rate the recipe (using the recipe card) or comment on the post to let me know.
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