Black Bean and Grilled Corn Salad with a Southwestern Flair
Hot and steamy weather calls for a cool, bright, and fresh salad. This Southwestern inspired black bean and roasted corn salad with lime and cilantro was the perfect meal to cool me off and fill me up.
The Southwest is scorching, as is most of the country right now. Chicago has been blanketed with hot and humid weather and it's almost too hot to eat; it takes too much energy. I’d rather drink water and nibble on popsicles instead of eating a heavy meal. So when my husband offered to make this black bean, corn, tomato, and pepper salad dressed with tangy lime, I enthusiastically said yes.
This girl wasn’t about to turn down one of my favorite dishes, especially since I didn’t have to make it.
There are so many flavors going on in this dish and they go together beautifully. There’s the bright and tangy taste of lime, earthy and moody cumin, fresh and curious cilantro, spicy poblano pepper, and sweet corn and bell pepper.
Not only will you get a mouthful of flavors, you’ll also get several textures in this bean and corn salad. The black beans are cooked until they’re firm, yet creamy. The raw bell pepper and onion adds a nice crunch, the corn is chewy, and the tomatoes are crisp and juicy. One bite will wake up your taste buds and have them asking for more.
This spicy black bean and grilled corn salad can be eaten as a meal; it has plenty of protein and it’s filling if you pile it up on your plate. You can also serve it as a dip, a side salad, or put it in tacos or burritos.
Now that I’ve shared this Southwestern black bean and corn salad recipe with you, I’m going to put some in a bowl with a few corn chips, go outside and find some shade, and enjoy the heat.
Notes on the Beans: Don’t overcook the beans. They should be soft and creamy on the inside but nice and firm on the outside. Start testing them after ten minutes to make sure you don’t boil them too long.
Notes on the Corn: You can grill the corn in or out of the husks. If you grill them in the husks soak them in a pot of water for about thirty minutes before grilling so the husks don’t burn up and the water creates steam to cook the corn.
Notes on the Spices: This recipe isn’t too spicy, to me anyway. If you’re sensitive to spicy food then add a small amount of the chipotle powder to the beans and then taste them. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s there.
Notes on the Limes: The acid from the limes will help to finish the cooking process of the beans and vegetables so it's important to squeeze the juice of the first lime into the mixture while it's hot. The second lime goes in once the salad is cool.
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Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This looks great, love fresh peppers and cilantro - such a great summer recipe. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Christine!
Jenn says
Sounds delicious. I make something very similar. Can't go wrong with Southwest flavors, beans and veggies! And, although I don't want the lazy days of summer end, I am definitely looking forward to some fall temps (I just wish they would last for more than a few weeks before the angry winter blows in).
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Jenn! I'm loving this summer and I don't want it to end. I can wait for fall, and I can't even think of winter!
Aimée / Wallflower Girl says
I want to be eating this for lunch right now. The perfect satisfying yet refreshing looking summer dish!
Linda Meyer says
I wish I could send you some, Aimee! Thank you so much!
Strength and Sunshine says
Ah, can Mexican cuisine ever do us wrong? NOQ! Haha! And perfect for all my favorite fresh summer corn <3 Delicious, Linda!
Linda Meyer says
You know I love my Mexican food. Thanks, Rebecca!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
This salad looks delicious! I think I'll make it to bring for lunches at work.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Amy! It would be perfect for taking to work.
Becky says
This looks so fresh and perfect for summer!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Becky!
The Vegan 8 says
All my favorite foods, I could live off of this! This looks gorgeous and has me drooling Linda!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Brandi! 🙂
alisamarie says
What a pretty dish! I simply love southwestern style bean and corn dishes like this. Serious comfort food.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! Southwestern and Mexican foods are my favorites. 🙂
Vegan Heaven says
Yummy! What a great salad, Linda. Absolutely perfect for summer. 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Sina!
veggiesdontbite says
Summer is life!!! LIFE!!! I am such a southern cali girl and I die when summer goes away. I love all the flavors of fall and I LOVE the holidays but man, these lazy beach days with the kids have been SO fun!!
Linda Meyer says
LIFE!!!!! I'm a summer girl too and I can't even think about fall right now. Let's just stretch this gorgeous hot and sunny weather out as far as possible. I've been enjoying it so much that I've cut down on my blog work, and I'm okay with it because cold weather will be here soon enough. My desk and computer can wait.
Evi @ greenevi says
What a perfect salad, Linda! I love every single ingredient here 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Evi!