Easy Vegan High Protein Black Bean Salad with Corn
- Updated on May 14, 2023
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If you’re looking for a hearty salad that is as great the next day as it is today, then this tasty black bean and corn salad is perfect for you!
I know you’re going to love this black bean salad recipe as it’s such an easy salad to make.
It’s full of fresh ingredients (and you could really go to town and make it your own here) and the best thing is that there’s no cooking involved – unless you class boiling a kettle as cooking?
Some of my favorite recipes are ones that you throw together in 10 minutes and can even be meal prepped for an entire week.
If you’re looking for new recipes like this you can find 70 vegetarian recipes here.
Mexican food fans, this one is for you! This simple recipe has definitely got those vibes, making it the perfect lunch or hearty side dish to any summer BBQ!
So, what’s in this black bean salad with corn I hear you cry, well let’s find out!
What makes my black bean corn salad so amazing?
Of course, it all comes down to the fresh foods that make up the salad ingredients. Get ready to tickle your taste buds with this vegan feast.
Ingredients
First of all, let’s start with the main players,
Beans
In this simple salad, I’m adding in black beans, but you could also use red kidney beans if you wanted to, they work just as well!
Veg
It wouldn’t be the best corn salad recipe without corn kernels. Now you could take fresh corn straight off the cob or you could use canned corn there isn’t much in it.
Next are the onions, I went for red onion and spring onion. I think they both add a unique flavor to the dish and a nice bit of crunch.
Garlic is also in there for another flavor hit, although you can leave it out if you’re going to breathe all over your colleagues afterward!
Spices
If you like some heat you’ll appreciate the chili flakes but how much you add is up to you.
There is also cumin and paprika in there so you know this salad is just going to be a flavor sensation!
Grains
Any good hearty salad has a grain to bulk it out. I chose couscous because it has a lovely light and fluffy texture so it isn’t going to be too stodgy on those warm summer days.
But I also think quinoa works just as well.
To finish the recipe off we can’t forget the staple ingredients to a lot of meals, vegetable stock, lemon or lime juice, and olive oil.
How many calories are in this corn salad?
This perfect summer side dish has 495 calories and 21 grams of protein, making it a great lunch option on those workout days.
Overall these are the nutritional facts for my corn salad with black beans:
Health benefits
There has to be only good that can come from eating fresh wholesome ingredients like the ones in this salad.
I love a salad on a warm day, but the key health benefits for me are coming from the beans.
Beans are a great source of fiber and protein for vegetarians and vegans alike, and protein is so important to your diet. It helps keep you feeling full, so you won’t be tempted to snack in between meals.
This can be especially helpful if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain.
Protein can also help to build muscle so if you have a daily protein goal to hit, adding it to every meal is the way forward.
To help you out with more protein-packed meals I recommend downloading my free 7-day vegetarian high-protein meal plan to get you started.
Then you can move on to the weekly vegetarian high protein plan if you want more regular ideas.
How to make black bean salad?
Time needed: 10 minutes
It really is super simple to make this salad.
- Prep time
Take a big bowl, add the couscous, and top with the veg stock so it’s just covering the grains. Cover the bowl with a cloth and set aside for five minutes.
- Add
Chop the onions and garlic, then after five minutes, you can throw in the corn, black beans, cumin, paprika, and chili flakes, and top with a zesty dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.
- Finish
Give it all a big mix and terminado!
Black bean corn salad FAQs
No question is too corny for me! (Sorry I couldn’t help it)
You can easily store this Mexican meal in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. You can eat it at room temperature no problem, or you can eat it warm if you want to.
This makes a great side salad any time of year but it would especially work well at a BBQ or cookout.
You could pair it with a variety of other salads or you could simply eat it with some crusty bread.
You could simply make a big batch of this salad to eat throughout the week. It’s a great make-ahead or meal-prep idea.
Black beans are high in fiber, vitamin B6, and folate, they’re also low in cholesterol so it makes them a great ingredient to help support heart health.
(Or another question you love to ask Google is “Why am I still pooping corn?”)
If you ever wondered why corn looks the same on the way out as it did on the way in that’s because corn doesn’t get digested by the body.
It is high in cellulose which is an insoluble fiber therefore it doesn’t break down as it passes through! (who needed to know that today? I’m not sure I did!)
You may ask the question, why eat corn if my body doesn’t digest it?
Well even though it doesn’t break down, the body can still extract the nutrients and corn is high in vitamin C as well as antioxidants that help protect cells from cancer. So it’s a good little veg to eat!
Recipe variations
There are lots of ways you could jazz up your bean salad ideas.
- Different veg: Why not throw in some red bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, or even some creamy avocado.
- Different toppings: Try some fresh cilantro, tortilla chips or why not a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce just to spice things up?
- Different grains: I mentioned quinoa earlier, but you could also try it with rice if you fancy – maybe go with brown rice if you want to keep it extra healthy.
More recipes like this
For more recipes why not try:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans (or kidney beans, 1 can = 15.5 oz = 435g, or 250g drained)
- ½ can sweet corn (1 can = 1.75 cups/ 15oz)
- 1 red onion
- 2 spring onions
- ⅓ cup instant couscous (get the ‘just add water’ variety for quickest results. If you have it/like it then quinoa can also be used here)
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 2 tsp cumin, ground
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tsp chili flakes (less can be more, so scale down if you don’t want it with much of a kick)
- 1 clove garlic (chopped; dried is fine too)
- 1 tbsp raisins
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetable broth with boiling water. Then pour it over the couscous in a large bowl. Don’t put too much water in – the ideal water level should be just enough to cover the couscous. You can always add more as needed – it’s much harder to take away excess water again.½ cup vegetable broth, ⅓ cup instant couscous
- Chop the spring and red onions into thin half slices.2 spring onions, 1 red onion
- Chop the garlic (if you’re having it).1 clove garlic
- Drain and rinse the beans and corn.1 can black beans, ½ can sweet corn
- After 5 about five minutes the couscous should be ready, so throw in the chopped onions, beans and corn.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika powder, chili flakes, optional raisins and give it all good mix.2 tsp olive oil, 1 lemon, 2 tsp cumin, ground, 2 tsp paprika powder, 2 tsp chili flakes, 1 tbsp raisins
- Ready!
NOTES
Nutrition
So let’s all wish for warmer weather so we can all enjoy this easy Mediterranean-ish salad at a flippin’ good barbie.
It is definitely on my top salads especially if I’m looking for something filling after a good workout.
Do you prefer to eat it as a meal or a side dish?
Dave
I’m not a foodie, although I do love eating. I believe food should serve us and our goals, not hinder. Taking control and responsibility for what I eat is important to me. Lots of veggie protein is my way forward.
Comments
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46 comments
This is a beautiful salad Howie! I love black beans and corn and lime and have a southwest salad kind of like this one that we eat all the time! This is so amazing with the couscous addition. I love, love couscous!!
Thanks Brandi!! I think Kat came up with the idea to try out this salad! I’m starting to like couscous a lot as well. It’s so easy to prepare, you just have to make sure not to drown it in water 😀
thank you for stopping by my blog. im glad i stumbled upon here because i love healthy good for busy people…and i love the idea of this salad (and the nutritional analysis).
Thanks Dixya! We do our best to help people eat a little healthier 🙂
The salad bowl looks so tempting, filling and healthy!
It’s all of the three things 😀
gotta love natural protein foods without the use of protein powder! Looks amazing :))
I’m definitely not a fan of protein powder either!
This looks so refreshing and delicious. Black beans + corn are the best combination! This is a perfect dish for summer, and just my kind of salad. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Harriet! 🙂
I added afew raisins, that made the whoel thing even better!
Hi how can I get the recipe?
Well, it’s in this post already. You didn’t see it? 🙂
Yum, this sounds like a fantastic salad for summer! Plus, you can’t go wrong with all those health benefits 🙂
It’s just right for the summer Donna! The lime and lemon are perfect 🙂
I could totally go for this Howie. Seems tasty and simple enough. I like how you do the benefits breakdown too.
Thanks Matt! The benefit is actually two fold! We keep in mind what’s important and why and we can add a little bit of information to the recipes 🙂
Delicious looking salad! I think I will add this to my list of things to make this weekend. 😀 I could use a good, healthy meal!
Deffo! I added also some raisins, loved it! 😀
Yum! Looks like a perfect healthy salad for summer 🙂 Love all the pops of color!
Thanks Becky!
Such a healthy and satisfying meal! 🙂 I bet it tastes delicious too.
Hi Cris! How’s the marathon prep going? 🙂
I liked it a lot without the optional raisins, I loved it with raisins!
Looks so colorful and delicious.
Made this twice now. My wife and I really like it. I had to look it up to find that Spring Onions and Scallions are not the same thing. I should learn to cook some day.
Wow, to be honest this is also news to me! But I can use the excuse that I’m not an English native 😉
This looks so good, Howie! I still got a can of black beans, so now I know what I’m making with it! 🙂
Thanks Sina! Ah, that’s great to hear, hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
PS. I really liked some raisins in the salad!
Delicious! We had it as a side dish with some BBQ tempeh and avocado. Definitely going to make this salad again 🙂
Thanks a lot for your feedback Leah!
Glad you liked the salad 😀
hello Howie Fox, i want to start salads business . please guid me..
Hi Nirmal!
Thanks for reaching our, but unfortunately I’m not familiar with the salad business either 😉
I try this salad, but I felt like something missing. I add 1 apple and 1 red pepper…I like it.
Sounds like good additions! It’s always worth experimenting to find what you love 🙂
OMG!!! This salad is delicious!! Thank you
You’re very welcome AmyGirl! Really happy to hear you enjoyed it so much!!
Wow! Amazing! I didn’t know that using a lemon or lime in, well, food would impart a citrusy flavor! Next time I’d like to have such a flavor, I’ll surely use a citrus fruit, like, for example a lemon or a lime! Thanks! Great tip!
You’re most welcome! We’re always glad to teach people new things in life. Consider using an orange or grapefruit as well for more citrusy flavour on your citrusy flavour.
I love the recipe. It just has too much sodium. 🙁
Hi Ana! Glad you like it. I don’t think the sodium is particularly high, why do you think that?
Thanks! Perfect combo for summer BBQs!
Enjoy Tracey!!
I am making this now and plan to add diced avocado. Seemed like a natural addition a when i saw that the recipe called for lime juice.
Hey Michael! Sounds like a great addition. I don’t think you can ever go too wrong with an extra avocado to be honest 😀
Thank you for the recipes, they are very motivational! I’m going to try all of them. These recipes are easy, they seem to be delicious and also, they are going to help my health.
You’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy and they do just that 🙂
What a nice surprise!