Mexican Black Bean & Corn Salad

A fresh, colorful, protein-packed salad loaded with black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, cilantro, and a zesty lime dressing — perfect as a side, dip, taco filling, or light meal 🌽🫘🌿

🕒 Time & Yield

• Prep Time: 10 minutes

• Chill Time (optional): 15 minutes

• Total Time: 10–25 minutes

• Servings: 4–6

🛒 Ingredients

🫘 Salad Base

• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained & rinsed

• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pinto beans or kidney beans, drained & rinsed

• 1½ cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen & thawed, or canned)

• 1 cup diced tomatoes

• ½ cup diced red onion

• ½ cup diced green bell pepper

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

🍋 Lime Dressing

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ¼ tsp chili powder or smoked paprika (optional)

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep Ingredients

1. Rinse and drain beans thoroughly.

2. Dice tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper finely.

3. Chop cilantro.

Step 2: Make Dressing

1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lime juice, honey, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder.

Step 3: Combine Salad

1. In a large bowl, add black beans, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.

2. Pour dressing over the salad.

Step 4: Toss & Chill

1. Gently toss until evenly coated.

2. Chill 15 minutes for best flavor (optional but recommended).

Step 5: Serve

• Serve cold or room temperature as salad, dip with tortilla chips, taco filling, or side dish.

⭐ Tips for Best Flavor

• Use fresh lime juice — bottled won’t taste the same.

• Chill before serving to enhance flavors.

• Add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.

🔁 Variations

🥑 Creamy Version: Add diced avocado + 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
🔥 Spicy: Add diced jalapeño or hot sauce
🍗 Protein Boost: Add grilled chicken or shrimp
🥗 Mediterranean Twist: Swap cilantro for parsley + add feta

🧠 Health Benefits

• Beans: High in fiber, plant protein, heart health

• Corn: Energy-boosting complex carbs

• Cilantro & Lime: Detoxifying, digestion support

🧊 Storage

Refrigerator:
Store in airtight container up to 4 days.

Meal Prep Friendly:
Great for lunches and wraps.

❓FAQs

Q: Can I make this ahead?
Yes — best after chilling 1–2 hours.

Q: Can I use frozen corn?
Yes — thaw and drain well.

Q: Is this Weight Watchers friendly?
Yes — mostly zero-point ingredients.

🍽 Nutrition (Per Serving – Approx.)

• Calories: 210

• Protein: 9g

• Carbs: 28g

• Fiber: 8g

• Fat: 7g

⭐ Weight Watchers Points (Approx.)

• Per serving: 1–2 Points
  (Mainly from olive oil — divide by servings)