Mexican Bean Salad
This easy and healthy mexican bean salad is fantastic for picnics and potlucks! With two kinds of beans, veggies, avocado and a dreamy lime chipotle dressing. Dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian with a vegan option.
This mexican bean salad was originally published in April 2013. The post has been updated as of May 21, 2019 with new photos, text and a revamped recipe.
Easy, classic and oh-so-flavorful, this southwest-inspired black bean salad is perrrrfect for all your warm weather needs!
Have a party? Potluck? Barbecue? This jazzy little number has got you covered.
Packed with both black beans AND kidney beans, along with a hefty sprinkling of crispy, crunchy, colorful veggies, it’s ready to please.
We have tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, cilantro, avocado! The gang’s all here.
And is tied together with the most dreamy honey lime chipotle dressing. A little tangy, a touch sweet, a bit smoky – i.e. the most excellent combination to take the salad from good to great.
But the best part? The whole thing can be made in advance and is delicious served either cold or at room temperature.
Hooking you up for gatherings of any kind or for a ready-to-go lunch.
Yep, we see you summer – and we’re so ready for you with our fresh and tasty salad!
How To Make Mexican Bean Salad
So, this healthy bean salad takes about 25 minutes to prep from start to finish. And is super simple to whip up! Let’s discuss:
Cook some corn in a skillet. Either fresh or frozen, we’ll sauté some kernels until tender and starting to brown.
Chop up veggies. Meanwhile, we’ll chop up plenty of fresh veggies and herbs, like tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado, green onion and cilantro.
Mix it all together in a bowl. In a large bowl, we’ll toss everything together, along with two kinds of beans.
Add the dressing. We’ll whisk together a few simple ingredients for our vinaigrette, then pour into the large bowl and toss to combine. And then, we eat!
Tips & Tricks
- First things first. While you can absolutely make this salad any time of the year, it is definitely best when you have good tomatoes – i.e. typically during warmer weather.
- As with all salad recipes, feel free to adjust the quantities of any of the ingredients to your taste.
- Now, let’s talk about the dressing. As written, there is a hint of that smoky heat from the chipotle peppers. But you can certainly adjust the amount to your taste.
- And finally, while this dish is fantastic freshly made, I actually think it gets better as it sits and the flavors have had a chance to meld and get all groovy together. So, if you have the time, let it chill out in the fridge for several hours before enjoying (see directly below for the best way to do this!).
Make Ahead Instructions + How To Store
This dish can be made entirely in advance with the exception of the avocado. Mix everything else together, toss with the dressing, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Right before serving, stir in the avocado.
The salad will keep like this for about three to four days.
Additional Side Dish Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Roasted Three Bean Salad with Tomatoes
- Roasted Broccoli Salad with Blueberries
- Dairy Free Potato Salad
- Balsamic Chickpea Salad
- Dairy Free Coleslaw (No Mayo)
- Or, check out all our side dish recipes here!
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Mexican Bean Salad
This easy and healthy mexican bean salad is fantastic for picnics and potlucks! With two kinds of beans, veggies, avocado and a dreamy lime chipotle dressing. Dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian with a vegan option.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (quartered if large)
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large ripe avocado, diced
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey*
- 2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce**
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
For the salad:
- Add the olive oil to a medium-large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the corn kernels and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add to a large bowl.
- To the bowl, add the bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, black beans, kidney beans and avocado. Toss gently to combine.
For the dressing:
- In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour into the bowl with the veggies / beans and toss gently to combine. Taste and season with additional salt / pepper as desired (I usually add more salt)!
Notes
*To keep this salad vegan - use pure maple syrup instead of the honey.
**If you are gluten free - please be sure to check the ingredients on your chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Some brands contain wheat!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 227Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 339mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 7g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Hi Ashley! Hope all is well and that you’re settling nicely into your new home in NC. I made this salad on Sunday and thought of you – it’s fabulous! I am headed to DC this weekend, any must-eat places that you’d recommend?
Hi Amy! So happy you liked it! Hmmm … for DC itself a few good ones are Art & Soul, Matchbox, Rosa Mexicana … we personally always liked going out to eat in Old Town Alexandria area in Virginia better (awesome brunch at Vermillion, the Tasting Room at Brabo is also another favorite!)
Tried this with grilled chicken and guacamole on the side (instead of avocado in the salad). Fabulous!
Oooo that’s a great idea! So glad you enjoyed it!
This looks like all kinds of awesome. All my favs in one bowl!
Thanks Katrina!
Forget side dish I want this for lunch today! Ashley this reminds me of this Southwestern salad I get at Au Bon Pain, only wayyyy better and less expensive. 😀 YUM
Thanks Jess! I didn’t even realize they sold one : )
Oh, please send me a huge bowl of this for lunch tomorrow! It looks so light and tasty!
haha done! Well virtually at least : )
YUM. This is pretty much the perfect lunch, in my opinion. Spicy, full of protein and veggies–what’s not to love?!
My feelings exactly : )
Absolutely love this! I wish I had a big bowl of this for lunch!
Thanks Jessica! Me too! But I guess my other leftovers will have to do for today : )
I’ve been on a Mexican food kick myself, and my mouth was watering just reading the ingredients. The dressing sounds heavenly…I’ll be making this! I’ll quite possibly have a very limey pomegranate margarita with it!
A pomegranate margarita sounds perfect to go with this!
I love black bean salads! You seriously cannot go wrong with avocado. Looks so fresh and colourful!
Agreed – avocado is always a good thing!
I love black bean salads! I think this needs to be lunch asap.
It’s a great lunch salad … and I love that you can eat it with a spoon : )
There are few things I crave as much as Mexican flavors, but I love these lighter preparations. That dressing sounds fantastic! I just cooked with chipotles in adobo over the weekend, and love that smokiness.
The dressing is pretty awesome : ) I’ve been using chipotles a lot too lately … agree with you on the smokiness!