This Black Bean Salad is our go-to for spring and summer as it’s quick, fresh, and perfect for warm days. With roasted sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, and a zingy cilantro-lime dressing, it’s an easy, delicious option for lunches, meal prep, and potlucks.
For more Mexican flavors, check out our refried beans, tostadas, Mexican rice, and black bean burger.
The black bean salad we keep coming back to
Last weekend, Louise and I packed up a little picnic — just a blanket, a few cold drinks, and, of course, a big container of this Black Bean Salad. It’s the kind of thing we always seem to make when the weather starts to get warm and we don’t feel like cooking. Honestly, it’s so easy to throw together that it almost feels like cheating.
We roasted a few sweet potatoes in the air fryer while tossing the black beans, crunchy peppers, and sweet corn into a bowl. I blended up a quick cilantro-lime dressing (still one of my favorite parts — it’s so fresh) and mixed it all up. It took maybe twenty minutes total, and suddenly we had this colorful, hearty, super refreshing meal that tasted like summer in every bite.
This salad has a little bit of everything: protein from the black beans, creaminess from the avocado, sweetness from the corn and potatoes, and that bright, tangy hit from the dressing. It’s packed with Mexican-inspired flavors, but still feels light enough that you can eat a big bowl of it in the heat and feel amazing afterward.
It reminds me a lot of some of our other favorite bowls — like our Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, the lemony Quinoa Salad we always meal prep, or that cozy Sweet Potato Salad we make in the fall. Same easy vibe, same real ingredients, same feeling of “why didn’t we make this sooner?”
If you’re looking for something quick, colorful, and ridiculously satisfying for your next lunch, picnic, or potluck, trust me — this is it.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Variations
Quick spiced corn upgrade: Sauté corn kernels (raw or canned) in olive oil for 3 minutes until slightly charred. Season with a small pinch of salt, cumin and smoked paprika. Let cool down slightly and add to salad.
Lime-zest avocado: Toss avo pieces with the zest of half a lime, a pinch of salt, and a few drops of lime juice. This makes the avocado brighter, richer, and last longer.
High-protein Black Bean Salad: Boost protein by doubling the black beans, adding chickpeas, or tossing in air-fried tofu, grilled tofu, or baked tofu. For vegetarians, mix in hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, or yogurt tahini sauce. For omnivores, add grilled chicken.
Black Bean and Quinoa Salad: Stir in cooked quinoa (½ cup dry quinoa boiled with 1 cup water) for extra nutrition and staying power. You can also swap in brown rice, farro, buckwheat, amaranth, or millet.
How to make black bean salad
Step 1: Cook the beans if using dried ones
If using canned beans: Skip this step and simply drain, rinse well, and let them dry slightly.
If using dried beans: Rinse the dry black beans under cold water. Boil them in a large pot with plenty of salted water (or better yet, vegetable broth) for about 1 to 1.5 hours until tender but not mushy. Taste a few beans to check doneness — they should be tender with a slight bite. Drain the beans, discard aromatics, and spread them out on a tray to cool quickly and evenly.
Step 2: Roast the sweet potatoes
Preheat your oven or air fryer to 400°F / 200°C. Peel and dice sweet potatoes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of smoked paprika or cumin for a flavor boost.
Oven: Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25–30 minutes until fork-tender and caramelized at the edges.
Air Fryer: Add sweet potatoes to the basket (they can overlap slightly). Air fry for 15–18 minutes, shaking every 4–5 minutes for even crisping.
Step 3: Make the dressing
In a small blender, mini food processor, or bowl, combine fresh cilantro, lime juice, chopped garlic, maple syrup or honey, peeled grated ginger, salt, and olive oil. Blend until mostly smooth but still a little textured — not a full puree. Taste and adjust with a little more lime or salt if needed.
Step 4: Mix the black bean salad
In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together the cooled black beans, finely chopped onion, pickled jalapeños, roasted sweet potatoes, thawed corn kernels, diced green peppers, and avocado (only if serving soon).
Drizzle over the dressing and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed before serving.
Tips
Dry beans well: After rinsing spread the beans out to dry a bit. Extra moisture can make the salad watery and less flavorful.
Cool ingredients before mixing: Let the sweet potatoes and beans cool slightly before tossing with delicate ingredients like avocado and herbs. It keeps everything crisp and fresh.
Dress right before serving: Especially if meal prepping, this helps keep the salad fresh and crisp.
Customize it to your taste: Add extras like diced tomatoes, cucumber, cooked quinoa, pickled onions, and extra dressing.
Avoid adding avocado too early: Avocado can brown and get mushy if it sits too long. Add it just before serving for the freshest flavor and texture.
Don’t skip the final seasoning check: Always taste and adjust –– The salad might need a final sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lime, or a little extra herb love just before serving.
How we love to serve this
We usually enjoy this Black Bean Salad as a main meal — it’s perfect for lunch, but just as good for a hearty breakfast or a light dinner. It’s also super versatile:
- Wrap it up: Stuff it into a tortilla with a handful of greens and a few tortilla chips on the side.
- Build a bowl: Layer it over lettuce, quinoa, or any grain you love for a quick, wholesome grain bowl.
And if you want to take it even further, try topping it with chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, avocado spread, sour cream, guacamole, or quick pickled red onions.
More Easy Bean Recipes
- Black bean soup
- Vegetarian chili
- Mediterranean salad
- Mango quinoa salad
- White bean salad
- Green bean salad
- Rice salad
- Barley salad
If you tried this Black Bean Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- 1 can (15-oz) black beans or 1½ cups (230 g) cooked black beans, or ½ cup (100 g) dried black beans
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1-Inch or 2½ cm cubes
- 1 cup green bell pepper diced
- ½ cup canned corn kernels
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeños add more or less to taste
- 1 avocado diced
FOR THE CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
- 1 cup cilantro use parsley if you don't like cilantro
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
Instructions
- Prep the beans – Drain 1 can (15-oz) black beans, rinse, and let dry.If using dried: Rinse, then boil in salted water or broth for 1–1.5 hours until tender. Drain and cool.
- Roast the sweet potatoes – Preheat oven or air fryer to 400°F / 200°C.Dice 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika or cumin.Oven: Roast 25–30 min; Air fryer: 15–18 min, shaking halfway.
- Make the dressing – Blend or whisk 1 cup cilantro, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt until mostly smooth.
- Assemble the salad – In a large bowl, toss beans, sweet potatoes, 1 cup green bell pepper, ½ cup red onion, ¼ cup pickled jalapeños, ½ cup canned corn kernels, and 1 avocado.Drizzle with dressing, toss gently, and adjust seasoning to taste.
Video
Notes
- Black beans (or chickpeas, pinto, black-eyed, kidney beans)
- Sweet potatoes, diced (or tomatoes)
- Bell peppers, diced (any color)
- Corn, drained (canned, frozen, or fresh)
- Red onion, chopped (or spring onions, shallots)
- Avocado, diced
- Pickled jalapeños (or fresh, soaked)
- Fresh cilantro (or parsley, basil, mint, or other dressing)
- Extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- Lime juice (or lemon juice, vinegar)
- Maple syrup (or honey, agave, date syrup, brown sugar)
- Garlic, chopped (or garlic powder)
- Ginger, grated (or ground ginger)
- Spiced Corn: Sauté corn in olive oil for 3 minutes with salt, cumin, and smoked paprika; cool and add to salad.
- Lime Avocado: Toss avocado with lime zest, salt, and a few drops of lime juice to boost flavor and freshness.
- High-Protein Salad: Double black beans, add chickpeas or tofu; vegetarians can add eggs or cottage cheese; omnivores can add grilled chicken.
- Black Bean & Quinoa Salad: Stir in cooked quinoa (½ cup dry quinoa + 1 cup water) or swap in brown rice, farro, buckwheat, amaranth, or millet.
- Dry beans well: Spread out after rinsing to avoid a watery salad.
- Cool ingredients: Let sweet potatoes and beans cool before mixing to keep everything crisp.
- Dress last: Add dressing just before serving, especially for meal prep.
- Customize: Mix in extras like tomatoes, cucumber, quinoa, or pickled onions.
- Add avocado last: Toss in avocado right before serving to keep it fresh.
- Final taste check: Adjust with salt, lime, or herbs before serving.
- Make ahead: Great for meal prep! Leave out the avocado and add a little extra dressing before serving, as the salad can dry out.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Let it sit at room temp for 15 minutes before serving.
- Freezer: Not recommended.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
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This was delicious! My one year old approved and she’s the whole reason I was trying something new. She hasn’t been liking meats lately and this was a delicious way to get protein in. We did tacos with this as a filling. I steamed the sweet potato and used red bell pepper and parsley instead. Omitted the jalapeños and onions because the kids don’t like them but it still came out great! Definitely recommend and I’ll be making all the time now.
Love the recipe. A few swaps and alterations: used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes (better for my blood sugar control), added half the amount of maple syrup (plenty sweet), used yellow and orange bell peppers, shallots and red onion (only had a little red onion left), sprinkled some sprouted pumpkin seeds on top and put this all on romaine.
This takes WAY longer than the prep time says. Sure, if everything I already cut up and ready to go, then yes, it’s 15 min. Otherwise, not so much 😉
Hi Julie! 😊 Love the swaps you made — they sound delicious and so thoughtful for your needs!
And haha, totally hear you on the prep time — you’re right, chopping always adds up. Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your tweaks. 💛
A winner! Made it last night & served on some finely chopped cos lettuce, leftovers again tonight & added some quinoa I had in the fridge. Loved by both my husband and I, will definitely be on the menu rotation 🙂
Fabulous, Natalie!! I am so happy that you both enjoyed this!! 🥳 It’s so great for leftovers.
Have a great Sunday. Kindest, Louise
Very very delicious. Made some baked fish also.
Thanks guys
Hi Lars,
Yay I’m so happy that you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for your feedback here 🥳 Kindest, Louise
This was SO good! We added some arugula to the mix and a small avocado to the dressing. 10/10
AMAZING Marissa!! Oh, that sounds glorious, like an avocado lime dressing?! 😍
Thank you very much for taking the time to write your feedback! Have a great week ahead,
Louise
This is one of my favorite recipes and I make it frequently. I added more veggies and I serve it over a bed a spinach. I did swap out the regular olive oil with a flavored one (fiesta spice) and I don’t use the maple syrup in the dressing but I could see where others might want it to balance the lime juice.
Hi Gy, that is fantastic, I’m so happy you love it 🥰. Great idea with extra leafy greens, and added spice, the spinach is a wonderful match!
Thank you for taking the time to comment here, we appreciate it. Kindest, Louise
You didn’t say when or if the sweet potatoes are added.
Hi Elisabeth,
The “how to make black bean salad” section as well as the recipe box (click “jump to recipe” to get straight to this box) mention this. The sweet potatoes are added them after roasting them in the oven. Here is the passage: “To a large mixing bowl, add the black beans, finely chopped onion, pickled jalapeños, roasted sweet potatoes, corn kernels, diced green bell pepper, and diced avocado.”
Kindest, Louise
I have EVERYTHING to make this. What a wonderful collection of ingredients—can’t wait for dinner tomorrow! This is going to be fabulous!
After seeing the video and how simple it was, I decided to make it. Fabulous!! Delicious!! I will make it again!
Delicious! One of my favorites now 🙂