A colorful southwest-style black bean salad with flavorful orange-lime citrus dressing! Plus it's a great make-ahead dish for packed lunches, picnics, etc. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)
This colorful black bean salad combines southwest-inspired flavors with bright, fresh citrus.
Sweet orange juice and tangy lime juice come together in a quick and easy dressing.
Plus it's versatile! Enjoy it as a side dish, chip dip, or even a fun and flavorful topper for tacos, burritos, etc.
Customizing
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/quinoa will soak up any leftover citrus dressing.)
Make it spicy: For a bit of heat, add chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste if desired.
Avocado: Freshly diced avocado is also a great addition right before serving!
Storing
This southwest bean salad also makes a great take-along cold lunch.
Simply make ahead of time and store in the fridge in a sealed container until you're ready to go.
Tip: You can eat this dish right after preparing, but the flavors beautifully intensify after it chills in the refrigerator for a little while!
For more inspiration, also browse all salad recipes or black bean recipes.
Southwest Black Bean Salad with Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
- 15 oz. can black beans
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 2/3 cup fresh cilantro (large stems removed)
- 6 oz. grape/cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup sweet corn (I use canned or frozen)
- Optional: avocado for serving
For the citrus dressing:
- 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. agave (or other sweetener)
- 1/4 tsp. salt (more/less to taste)
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- Finely dice bell pepper, red onion, and tomatoes. Roughly chop cilantro, large stems removed. Place in a large bowl.
- Add black beans (rinsed and drained) and sweet corn (thawed if frozen) to bowl.
- Pour dressing over top and toss to combine.
- Best if chilled 1 hour (or longer) before serving.
- Stir well before serving, as some dressing will settle at the bottom. Top with diced avocado right before serving if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium: 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.
If you are enjoying this Southwest Bean Salad recipe with citrus dressing, also feel free to check out:
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Glenda
Incredible recipe! Love that dressing!
Kaitlin
Great to hear, Glenda! Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your very kind feedback!
Patricia Pusey
Hey Kaitlin I love your site!!! Do you use edamame beans in anything? Was looking for some cold salads with edamame and lentils and any other kind of yummy flavors.
Patricia Pusey
Sorry I commented on this one with a edamame question. This was the recipe I first tried. Delicious by the way!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi Patricia! Haha no worries. Here are a couple edamame recipes on the site:
Edamame, Tomato, Corn Salad with Lemony Dressing
Vegan Green Enchiladas
Black Bean Avocado Edamame Salad
theCherrytasty
Made this yesterday and it was great! There's still a lot left over so my lunch for this week is settled. I love black beans and this is a welcome variation on the salads I usually make. The dressing is amazing, something so simple and delicious would never have occurred to me! I'll be trying out all your other recipes as well, they all look great! Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Wonderful, thank you!
evelyn sarson
Just chopped this up and before I put it in the fridge I had a bite of it and it was delicious! I am pairing this with shrimp tacos tonight. Can't wait!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Thanks for sharing!
Jessica Eiss
I love your sauce on this. I cook without oil, so was glad to see this was oil free. The two juices compliment each other nicely, and I added chili powder to it too and two shakes of cayenne powder. I so love Mexican and summer salads. Thanks again!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Glad you enjoyed the oil-free dressing and salad. Your additions sound perfect!
Traci
Very delicious. We had it with corn chips. A friend of mine adds (canned) jalapenos to this and swears by it. I may also try that next time. Thank you for the recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your feedback!