
Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad
This is summer in a bowl — charred sweet corn, creamy black beans, bright lime, and a little heat. It's substantial enough to be dinner on its own, travels well to potlucks, and tastes even better the next day. It's the recipe everyone asks for.
Time: 30 minutes · Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- ●4 ears corn, husked
- ●1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups cooked)
- ●1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ●1 avocado, diced
- ●½ red bell pepper, diced
- ●¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ●¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ●1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave seeds for more heat)
- ●*Dressing:**
- ●3 tablespoons olive oil
- ●2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- ●1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ●½ teaspoon chili powder
- ●1 clove garlic, minced
- ●Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the corn lightly with oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred in spots all around — about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- While the corn cools, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Stand each ear upright on a cutting board and slice downward with a sharp knife. Do this inside a large bowl to catch the kernels — they like to fly.
- Add the black beans, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño to the corn.
- Pour the dressing over and toss gently. Add the avocado last and fold in carefully so it doesn't turn to mush.
- Taste and adjust salt and lime. Serve at room temperature.
- *Storage:** Without the avocado, this keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Add avocado just before serving.
- *Seasonal note:** If you don't have a grill, broil the corn on a sheet pan about 4 inches from the element, turning every few minutes. You can also cut the kernels off raw and char them in a dry cast-iron skillet — pile them in and don't touch them for 3 minutes to get a good sear.
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