This sweet and spicy black bean salad is a great summer side, perfect for complementing burgers, ribs or any of your favorite barbecue dishes!
Summertime is in full swing, which means plenty of weekend barbecues and gatherings with friends, family and neighbors. One of my favorite things to bring to a barbecue or potluck is this sweet and spicy black bean salad. Packed with summer veggies like corn, avocado and tomatoes, the salad gets its kick from jalopeños, a dash of Tabasco sauce and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
The great thing about this salad, besides feeding a crowd, is that it compliments so many grill dishes -- burgers, grilled chicken, ribs, pulled pork -- you name it! Plus, if you have any leftovers, I love scooping it up with tortilla chips as an appetizer the next day, similar to a cowboy caviar.
The dressing is super easy -- just measure out the ingredients into a jar, pop on a lid and shake until emulsified. Or, if you don't have a jar handy, you can simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well-combined.
For the salad, chop up the vegetables into small pieces (I try to keep them relatively uniform in size, about the size of a black bean), add the dressing and toss to coat.
The salad is even better the next day, so if you can do all the chopping in advance, the veggies marinate in the dressing and really absorb all of the sweet, tangy, spicy deliciousness. If you opt to make the salad ahead of time, simply hold the avocados until just before serving, so they don't get brown and mushy (because NOBODY likes that -- ick!).
If you're making the salad the day you plan to eat it, I like to chill it for an hour before serving just to let all the flavors meld together, but if you're in a hurry, you can skip this step.
If you're heading to a barbecue or a potluck, don't forget dessert! Show up with my easy Palisade peach crisp and you'll be everyone's favorite guest!
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Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Side, Salad
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sweet and spicy black bean salad is a great summer side, perfect for complementing burgers, ribs or any of your favorite barbecue dishes!
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ½ cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
- ⅓ cup avocado oil or extra virgin avocado oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 8-10 drops Tabasco sauce
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
For the Salad
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes, seeded
- 1 ½ cups corn, fresh, canned or frozen and defrosted
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- ¾ cup red onion, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 fresh jalopeño, seeded and minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
- 3 ripe avocados
Instructions
Make the dressing - Combine lime juice, oil, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper in a jar; cover and shake until well-combined. Alternatively, add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk.
Make the salad - Mix beans, tomatoes, corn, celery, red onion, red pepper, jalopeño and cilantro together in a shallow bowl. Pour dressing over bean mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour or up to 1 day. Add avocados and toss just before serving.
Notes
- Salad can be made and refrigerated (sans avocado) up to one day in advance. Add avocado just before serving.
- Jalopeño should be seeded before using - the seeds give the pepper its heat. Remove seeds under running water.
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