This loaded black bean salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients and topped with a simple lime juice dressing. Make this black bean salad for parties, potlucks, BBQs, or just for yourself! Enjoy with tortilla chips or crackers, or fill a taco with this flavorful veggie black bean salad!
Loaded Black Bean Salad recipe ingredients and substitutes
There are quite a number of ingredients in this salad recipe. So feel free to omit what you don’t have on hand and add extra ingredients if needed.
- beans – For this recipe I used a can of black beans and a can of chickpeas. I like having both in there, but you can also just use two cans of black beans.
- Corn – Canned, fresh or frozen corn will do. You just want it to be completely thawed before adding it to your salad. I used canned corn.
- tomatoes – You can use any type of tomato for this recipe. I found a packet of tri-color cherry tomatoes and used those. If using cherry tomatoes, cut them in either halves or quarters, depending on their size.
- paprika – I used a combination of red and green peppers. However, all paprika colors are suitable, including orange and yellow.
- avocado – I used one big avocado, but you can also use two small ones.
- Quark – I added about a cup of crumbled queso fresco cheese. It mixes with the dressing and makes this black bean salad a little creamy. You can use cojita cheese or feta instead.
- radish – I had some leftover radishes from my potato salad last week and they paired perfectly with this rich salad! They provide nice color, crispiness and a little spiciness.
- Red onion – Any color of onion goes well in this salad, I just prefer red onions.
- coriander – There is no black bean salad without coriander! At least in my opinion haha. If you don’t like cilantro, you can use parsley, mint, or scallions instead.
- jalapeno – I only used about 1/4 cup of diced, fresh jalapeno, but you can use as much as you like. Pickled jalapeños would also be a great option, being a bit more domesticated than fresh jalapeños.
- dressing – The dressing is very simple and consists of: olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chilli powder and salt and pepper.
How to make an easy black bean salad
- Place the black beans and chickpeas in a large bowl. Then add the corn, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, onions, avocado, cilantro, queso fresco, jalapeño, and garlic.
- Then pour over the olive oil and lime juice. Add cumin and chili powder. Mix the salad well and then season with salt and pepper. Leave out any ingredients you don’t have on hand or don’t like and add something you like instead.
- Black bean salad tastes great and is served immediatelybut can be kept in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Enjoy with corn chips or crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Black Bean Salad Recipe
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes!
- Is this black bean salad vegan? I used some queso fresco in my recipe, but you can either omit that or use a vegan version of queso fresco. Vegan feta would probably be the closest thing you would find at the grocery store.
- Can this salad be made ahead of time? Yes, it can be made ahead of time, but I would recommend adding the avocado or dressing just before serving.
- How long can leftover lettuce last in the fridge? Leftovers will keep for a few days if stored in an airtight container. However, the avocado may start to brown and the salad may not look quite as fresh as when it was first prepared. But it will still taste good!
- How should this loaded black bean salad be served? This salad can be enjoyed as a side salad or as a dip with corn chips or crackers.
Do you have a question that I haven’t answered? Ask me in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Looking for more Southwest salad recipes?
Pickled onion and avocado salad
Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Black Beans
Creamy Southwest Chopped Coleslaw
New Mexican-inspired green chile salad
Roasted Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad
Press
Loaded black bean salad
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8th–10 1X
- Diet: vegetarian
Description
This loaded black bean salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients and topped with a simple lime juice dressing. Make this black bean salad for parties, potlucks, BBQs, or just for yourself! Enjoy with tortilla chips or crackers, or fill a taco with this flavorful veggie black bean salad!
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Corn kernels, fresh, canned, or frozen (fully thawed) will do
- 2 cups diced tomatoes, about 12 ounces total (I used cherry tomatoes)
- 1 medium red peppers, diced
- 1 medium green peppers, diced
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
- Diced jalapenos, to taste (fresh or pickled)
- 2–3 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- Tortilla chips or crackers for serving
instructions
- Place the black beans and chickpeas in a large bowl. Next, add corn, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, onions, avocado, cilantro, queso fresco, jalapeño, and garlic.
- Then pour over the olive oil and lime juice. Add cumin and chili powder. Mix the salad well and then season with salt and pepper. Feel free to omit any ingredients you don’t have on hand or don’t like and add something you like instead.
- Black bean salad is great to serve immediately, but can be refrigerated for a few hours before serving. Enjoy with corn chips or crackers.
Remarks
Black bean salad tastes best when served immediately, but can be refrigerated for a few hours before serving if needed.
- Preparation time: 25 mins
- Cooking time: 0 mins
- Category: Side, Vegetarian
- Method: No chef
- Kitchen: Mexican inspired
Keywords: Loaded black bean salad