This fresh Southwest Black Bean Salad recipe features crisp veggies and a delicious orange-chili-lime dressing! It's so healthy, flavorful, and easy to prepare. Plus great made in advance! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

Overhead view of southwest black bean salad with citrus dressing in a white serving bowl with spoon

This fresh and healthy black bean salad is a fun twist on the classic! It combines southwest-inspired flavors with a bright citrus dressing.

First we'll combine hearty black beans with crisp, colorful veggies and fresh herbs. Then toss it all in a (simple but flavorful) orange-chili-lime dressing. The result is deliciously tangy and sweet with a touch of heat.

Plus it's super versatile and great made in advance. Serve it as a salad, side dish, chip dip, or even spoon it over your tacos, burritos, etc. I love this recipe and hope you do too!

Roma tomatoes, sweet corn, red onion, bell pepper, fresh orange, lime and spice ingredients laid out on a metal tray

Ingredients for Southwest Bean Salad

For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large bowl:

Black beans: You'll need one 15-ounce can black beans for this recipe. Or if you cook your own from scratch, use about 1.5 cups cooked beans.
Orange bell pepper: I like orange for maximum color variety in this salad, but you can swap in yellow or red bell pepper instead.
Red onion
Roma tomatoes: You'll need two ripe roma tomatoes, but you can substitute another garden tomato or even grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for a bolder, sweeter flavor.
Sweet corn: I use organic corn. Either canned, frozen (and thawed), or fresh corn on the cob (cooked and kernels removed) works great. Fire-roasted corn could be tasty too!
Fresh cilantro
Jalapeño pepper: If you're sensitive to spice, feel free to leave this out. But I love the flavor it adds.
Orange juice: You'll need a quarter cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, which is about one juicy orange.
Lime juice: You'll need two tablespoons of fresh lime juice, which is about one lime.
Apple cider vinegar
Chili powder: Use American chili powder which is a spice blend that's savory and earthy with mild to moderate heat.
Ground cumin
Garlic powder
Salt: I use fine grain sea salt.

Overhead view of preparing southwest black bean salad in a glass bowl before mixing together

Customizing

Make it spicy: For a bit of heat, stir in more chili powder, some chipotle, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste. You can also add more jalapeño or include the seeds.

Add rice or quinoa: You can also mix the salad with a small amount of rice or quinoa to make it an even more satisfying main dish. (Plus the rice or quinoa will soak up any leftover citrus dressing.)

More beans: Feel free to reduce the amount of veggies to make room for another can of black beans for an extra-hearty salad with more plant protein.

Avocado: Freshly diced avocado is also a great addition right before serving.

Citrus zest: You can also include zest from the orange and lime in the dressing for bolder flavor.

Citrus dressing being poured over a southwest bean salad before mixing together

Serving

This southwest bean salad is a great dish to make ahead for meal prep, a take-along cold lunch, or energizing snack throughout the day. It's also really tasty served as a dip with tortilla chips!

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find it holds up well for about 4 days. You can eat this dish right after preparing, but the flavors intensify even more after it chills in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight.

Overhead view of southwest bean salad mixed together in a glass bowl with wooden serving spoons

For more inspiration, also browse all salad recipes or black bean recipes.

Southwest Black Bean Salad with Citrus Dressing

This delicious southwest bean salad features crisp veggies and a flavorful orange-chili-lime dressing. It's healthy, easy, and great made in advance!

4.85 from 13 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 6 (1-cup servings)

Ingredients

15 oz. can black beans
1 cup sweet corn, cooked
2 roma tomatoes
1 orange bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1-2 jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

For the orange-chili dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt (more to taste)

Instructions

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Prepare the veggies: Dice the tomatoes and bell pepper. Finely dice the red onion and jalapeño. (Remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeño for less heat.) Then roughly chop the cilantro. Place all in a large mixing bowl.
Assemble: Add the black beans (rinsed and drained) and sweet corn (thawed if frozen) to the large bowl with the veggies. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the flavors as desired. Add a pinch more salt if the flavors don't quite pop.
Serve: You can serve this dish immediately or let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour (or longer) to enhance the flavors even more. Stir well before serving, as some dressing will settle at the bottom.

Notes

Yield: Recipe makes about 6 cups salad.

Make it spicy: Add more chili powder, some chipotle, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste.

Recipe originally published January 2014. Updated October 2025.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Southwest Black Bean Salad with Citrus Dressing

Amount per Serving

Calories

112

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

0.1

Polyunsaturated Fat

0.3

Monounsaturated Fat

0.2

Potassium

433

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

1054

Vitamin C

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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Close up view of southwest black bean salad on a white plate with serving spoon

If you're enjoying this Southwest Bean Salad recipe with citrus dressing, also check out:

Vegan Taco Salad
Southwest Pasta Salad with Chipotle Dressing
Kale Superfood Power Salad
Cucumber Salad

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Southwest Black Bean Salad with Citrus Dressing

Ingredients for Southwest Bean Salad

Customizing

Serving

Storing