I’m always looking for new and fresh salad ideas, and this sweetcorn and black bean salad is packed full of zing.
With the beans, it’s filling enough to work as a main course – but equally, the flavours are perfect for a side dish, particularly for a barbecue.
It also works really well when made in advance and travels well too, so ideal for picnics.
You can customise it too, if you like. This salad would love a handful of chopped jalapeños thrown in for a bit of spice, or some crumbled feta to bring some salty, creamy goodness. Or, a chopped avocado would bring its oily mildness. But as it is, it’s a child-friendly (and child beloved!) salad dish that’ll make the whole family happy.
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Sweetcorn – tinned sweetcorn is best for this sweetcorn and black bean salad, but frozen works too.
- Black beans – you’ll need a tin of black beans in water.
- Tomatoes – use the best ones you can get. I find that when eating tomatoes raw, the quality is extremely important. As long as they’re high quality, you can use any variety.
- Pepper – I used a red bell pepper, but you can use green or yellow too.
- Coriander – a handful of fresh coriander lifts the salad and adds some brightness.
- Lime – the juice of one lime works as a beautiful dressing and helps to stop the vegetables from browning. Win, win!
Top Tips
- Make ahead
This salad keeps well in the fridge for three days. You can make it ahead and have for lunches throughout the week.
- Cool the black beans and sweetcorn properly
The last thing you want is warm sweetcorn and beans making the pepper and tomatoes soft. Cool them properly to keep the salad nice and crisp.
- To serve
Either serve as it is, as a main or side, or top with a teaspoon of soured cream for some sharp creaminess.
Get the cook books:
Sweetcorn and Black Bean Salad
Save This RecipeIngredients
- 325 g tinned sweetcorn
- 400 g tinned black beans
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Tip the sweetcorn and black beans (and the water from the tins) into a saucepan. Put on a medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
- Tip into a colander and run under the cold tap to bring the temperature back down and stop the cooking process.
- Dice the tomatoes and bell pepper. Put in a large bowl. Add the sweetcorn and black beans and stir.
- Roughly chop the coriander and add to the bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Stir again, and it’s ready to serve.
