Black Bean Avocado Salad

This black bean avocado salad makes a great summer staple for lunches, picnics, potlucks and summer parties! Enjoy with a fork or scooped with tortilla chips.

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Black Bean Avocado Salad

Hey hey, summer salad season is here!! And a bean salad is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect picnic foods. Make it in advance and store it the fridge. Eat it for lunch on a blanket or at a summer cookout or holiday party scooped up with tortilla chips! Side dishes like this are always crowd pleasers, and this one is vegetarian and vegan to boot.

This salad is definitely of the “party in my mouth” variety with black beans, avocado, peppers and a delicious dressing made with smoked paprika, lime juice, and a hint of cayenne. (Of course if you are really spicy you can add some garlic and red onion too!)

You’re getting a variety of nutrients from all the colors involved, including healthy fats from avocado and olive oil and protein in the beans. To amp up the protein even more, consider adding rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, or feta cheese.

Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients

1 15 ounce can black beans
2 ears corn, cooked and kernels cut off
1 green pepper, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 ripe avocado, diced
2-3 limes, zested

Instructions

You can easily make this salad in advance, either saving the avocado for serving time or covering it with lots of lime juice to prevent it from turning brown. Keep the salad chilled until you’re ready to enjoy or transport to your party!

Step 1: Make the dressing

Zest and juice the lime first. Then add all of the dressing ingredients to the bottom of a large bowl and mix well. Season with any extra cayenne you’d like. You can also add a little minced garlic if you like!

Step 2: Prep Veggies

Rinse and drain the beans and halve the cherry tomatoes. Mince the cilantro. Dice the pepper. Cut the corn off the cob.

Step 3: Combine all remaining ingredients in your dressing bowl and toss to combine.

Step 4: Allow to chill

Chilling for an hour will allow flavors to develop. But this step is optional!

Serve

Obviously I am team chip!!! But you can also make this as a great prep day salad and enjoy it for lunches. Or a side dish to grilled chicken, burgers, hot dogs, or skewered shrimp! And you know what I might do with the leftovers? Smash them into corn and bean burgers! I might have to give that a try….