Corn and Black Bean Salad

This RV travel-friendly corn and black bean salad can be modified to your taste and dietary needs. No leftovers as we use it 3 different ways. 

Melissa

5 min read

This corn and black bean salad is our family’s go-to recipe. In our house, we use it 3-ways. We use it as a side dish to complement a hamburger, sausage, or BBQ pork sandwich. Step up these meals a notch with our homemade bun recipe.

Melissa’s favorite use for the corn and bean salad is creating a southwest-style salad using it. All you do is top a large green salad with this ‘salsa’ and add some chicken. It’s a super quick and tasty meal.

Don enjoys making a burrito with the corn and black bean salad. He simply spoons the salad onto a large flour taco shell, adds sour cream, and either chicken (from the night before) or refried beans. Don't forget the queso!

You can make as little or as much as you want of this corn and black bean salad. As you may know, it is just the two of us, and we love southwestern flavors. So we will make the whole recipe and have it for 3-meals (serving both of us). Due to Melissa’s gastroparesis, she can not eat a lot of this corn and black bean salad. Therefore, a ‘normal’ family should get 4 servings from this recipe (unlike our 6). 

The recipe is adaptable to personal dietary needs and flavor profile preferences. As is, the cumin and chili powders are offset with the sweet corn and balsamic vinegar. Some people will add sugar to the corn and black bean salad. Others will reduce the chili powder. We have put in herbs, like oregano and cilantro. The choice is always yours.

The corn and black bean salad will look ‘ugly’ as the corn absorbs the balsamic vinegar and black bean juices. However, the longer it sits, the better it tastes! Melissa does add a little more corn to the dish before serving as a leftover. The slight crunch of the semi-frozen ‘new’ corn is mouth-pleasing.

Prep: 10

Cooking: 0

Cups: 4

• Black beans, drained, 16 oz

• Frozen corn, 8 oz

• Onion, diced, 1/4 cup

• Jalapeno, fine dice, 2 tablespoons

• Bell pepper, diced, 3/4 cup

• Balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup

• Olive oil, 2 tablespoons

• Salt, ½ teaspoon

• Ground cumin, ½ teaspoon

• Chili powder, ½ teaspoon

• Cayenne pepper, pinch

• Fresh ground pepper, pinch

• Measuring Cups and Spoons

• Liquid Measuring Cups

• Small mixing bowl

• Cutting board and knife

• Large Mixing bowl with lid

1. In a small bowl, mix everything together except the corn and beans. (Marinade)

2. Place corn and beans in a large bowl and toss with marinade (step 1).

3. Taste. Seasoning more if needed.

4. Serve now or chill overnight.

• This dish is best the next day, when the flavors have marinated.

• Freshen up the salad with a additional frozen corn before serving.

• For a change of color, use a mix of yellow and red bell peppers.

• It is easy to reduce or even double the recipe.

• Add oregano or cilantro.

• Try different beans: red bean and black-eyed peas are also good with the black beans.

We hope you give the Corn and Black Bean Salad recipe a try. Then, check out the rest of our recipe collection we add to each month HERE. 

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