Black Bean Corn Salad {15 Minute Prep!}

A simple and filling Black Bean Corn Salad is bursting with flavor and can be ready in 15 minutes or less! 

Why We Love This Black Bean And Corn Salad

Ingredients

Base:

• Couscous: Cooked for a fluffy texture.
• Romaine Lettuce: Crunchy and fresh, can be pre-chopped.

Toppings:

• Black Beans & Fire-Roasted Corn: Add protein and smoky flavor.
• Mini Bell Peppers & Pepper Jack Cheese: Provide sweetness and spiciness.
• Corn Tortilla Chips: Offer extra crunch.

Dressing:

• Jalapeno Ranch & Honey BBQ Sauce: Creates a creamy, spicy-sweet dressing.

How To Make Black Bean Corn Salad

1. Cook Couscous: Boil water or broth, stir in couscous, cover for 2-4 minutes, fluff and cool.
2. Prepare Lettuce: Chop and dry romaine lettuce or use pre-chopped.
3. Assemble: Layer lettuce, black beans, corn, bell peppers, and couscous in a bowl; toss.
4. Dressing: Mix Jalapeno Ranch with Honey BBQ sauce.
5. Serve: Toss salad with dressing, add cheese and chips, and serve immediately.

Variation Ideas

• Add grilled chicken or steak for more protein; use leftovers for quicker prep.
• Include guacamole or chopped avocado.
• Add thinly sliced red onion; soak in cold water first to reduce sharpness.
• Substitute couscous with quinoa.
• Include hard-boiled eggs for extra protein and flavor.

More Quick & Easy Recipes

• Chicken Salad
• Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Sandwiches
• Pesto Vegetable Bowls
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Zuppa Toscana Soup

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5 from 8 votes

Black Bean Corn Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Simple and filling Black Bean Corn Salad is bursting with flavor and can be ready in 15 minutes or less! 

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup couscous
• ▢ 1 cup water or chicken stock, chicken broth, or vegetable broth (any works!)
• ▢ 1 large head romaine lettuce OR 1 bag pre-chopped romaine lettuce (about 6 cups)
• ▢ 1 can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted corn drained
• ▢ 3/4 cup mini sweet bell peppers thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/3 cup pepper jack cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup corn tortilla chips
• ▢ 3/4 cup Jalapeno Ranch salad dressing (Note 1)
• ▢ 1/4 cup Honey BBQ sauce
• ▢ Optional: fresh lime, fresh cilantro

Instructions 

• COUSCOUS: Prepare the couscous according to package directions. (Bring 1 cup water or stock/broth to a boil and once it boils, remove it from the heat, stir in couscous, and place the lid on. Let stand for 2-4 minutes.) Fluff the couscous with a fork. (Don't let the couscous stand covered too long before fluffing, as it gets harder to fluff the longer it sits). Place in the fridge while preparing everything else.
• LETTUCE: Coarsely chop the lettuce. Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce. (A salad spinner is great here.) Chop into bite-sized pieces. For faster prep, use a bag of pre-washed and chopped romaine lettuce. Add lettuce to a large salad bowl.
• SALAD: Add the drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, and thinly sliced bell peppers on top of the lettuce. Add the cooked, fluffed, and cooled couscous right on top and toss with two salad spoons until everything is combined. If eating all at one time, toss the salad with dressing in the large bowl. (See next step for making the dressing.) Separate dressed salad onto plates and add cheese and tortilla strips in even amounts on plates. If you aren't eating this salad all at once, toss individual plates with dressing.
• DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together the jalapeno ranch and honey BBQ sauce. Drizzle over salads to taste. (You may not use all of it depending on how much dressing you like.) 
• If desired, add freshly chopped cilantro and fresh lime. Enjoy salads immediately after dressing.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: For a similar homemade dressing whisk together the following in a small bowl: 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper to taste.

Nutritional information will vary, depending on the brand and the amount of dressing used.

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 796mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1614IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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