Black Bean Corn and Avocado Salsa

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

• This is an easy black bean corn salsa, that’s full of flavor and textures that won’t break down and go soggy.
• Good to serve with grilled fish or meats and perfect for taking to picnics and BBQs.
• This black bean avocado salsa can also be used as a salad.
• It’s delicious as a taco filling with Mexican pulled pork, or use it as a healthy dip with tortilla chips.
• It’s a fresh and healthy cold salad, perfect for warm summer days.

Ingredients In This Recipe

The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Black beans – for convenience we used a 400 gram (14 ounces) can of black beans. 

However, if you have dried black beans these can be cooked, cooled, and added to the salad. You will need 240 grams (about 1 ½ cups) of cooked black beans for this recipe.

• Note: A 400 gram (14 ounces) tin of canned black beans when drained, will give about 240 grams (1 ½ cups) of beans.

Corn Kernels – fresh, frozen, or canned corn can be used. If using fresh corn, cook and cool it before using. 

For frozen corn it has already been cooked, allow it to thaw before adding to the salad. 

If using canned corn rinse and drain the corn before using. You will need one 400 gram (14 ounces) of canned corn kernels, drain off the liquid before use.

Jalapenos are Mexican chili; they add a little heat to the salad. Use as much as you are comfortable with or leave them out if you don’t like chili.

Use fresh jalapenos if they are available or use pickled jalapenos if you can’t get fresh. If you can’t get jalapenos at all use a green chili instead.

Garlic – our recipe uses garlic powder, but you could use one to two cloves of grated fresh garlic. We choose to use garlic powder because, it is gentler on the stomach, whereas raw garlic can cause gas and bloating in some people.

Avocado – select a firm-ripe avocado, it should feel slightly soft but not mushy when lightly pressed. If you don’t like avocado it can be left out.

Tomatoes – Use firm ripe tomatoes you could also use cherry or grape tomatoes and cut them into quarters.

Capsicum (bell peppers) – For visual appeal, we used orange capsicum, but red, yellow, or green capsicum could also be used.

Onion – use red onion, these not only look good in a salad, but they are also milder in flavor compared to brown onions.

Coriander – use fresh coriander. The leaves and stems can be used.

Lime juice – if you can’t get fresh lime, use the juice of a fresh lemon instead.

The rest of the ingredients – cumin powder, chili powder, honey, olive oil are used to flavor the salad dressing.

This black bean corn and avocado salsa is very easy to make.

First, drain the canned beans and corn into a sieve and rinse under cold water. Place these into a large mixing bowl along with the diced onion, diced capsicum, diced tomato, and diced jalapeno.

We like to remove the seeds from the tomato before dicing, however, this is an optional step. We do this because the seeds contain a lot of moisture which tends to make the salad watery.

To remove the seeds from the tomato, cut it in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them, then cut the tomato into small pieces.

Next prepare the salad dressing by finely chopping the coriander and place it into a medium-sized, wide-necked bottle with a lid.

Add the olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, honey, chili powder, cumin powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Put the lid on the jar securely and shake to combine the ingredients.

Just before serving the salad. Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and use a dessert spoon to scoop out the flesh and cut it into small pieces.

Add the diced avocado to the bowl with the other vegetables, pour over the salad dressing, mix well and serve.

Serving Size

This black bean and corn salsa recipe serves 6.

Calories Per Serve

There is about 251 calories per serve.

Serving Suggestions

This healthy side dish can be used as a dip served with corn chips or a salad and goes so well with steaks, burgers, or grilled meats.

It's also a nice taco filling when wrapped in fresh tortillas with pulled pork or chicken tinga.

Frequently Asked Questions

Meal Prepping

Can black bean corn and avocado salsa be made ahead?

Yes, for the most part, it can be made about 24 hours ahead of time. The only thing that I would not add in advance is the avocado because it discolors quickly. Cut and add the avocado close to serving time.

More Veggie Recipes

• Greek tomato and cucumber salad
• Carrot Pickle
• Spicy pickled vegetables
• Zucchini and carrot slice