Fresh Corn Salad
Fresh Corn Salad with black beans, avocado, tomatoes and a zesty chili-lime dressing. This corn salad recipe is one of the best summer side dishes!
This corn salad is one of my all-time favorite summer recipes! When I was first testing this recipe, I was hoping that it would turn out to be a delicious and easy side dish for summer meals.
This corn salad recipe turned out to be even better than I had hoped! It’s so tasty that it immediately became one of my family’s very favorite recipes. Now I look forward to fresh corn season just so I can make this summer corn salad.
Why you’ll love this corn salad recipe:
- It is really easy to make.
- It’s full of fresh and flavorful ingredients.
- You can make it ahead. (Tips for that below.)
Fresh sweet corn, tomato, avocado and black beans are tossed in a homemade chili-lime Mexican dressing. Cilantro, cheese and red onion add even more flavor to this summer salad.
Cold corn salad is the best after it chills in the refrigerator for a day. The flavors blend together and it’s hard to resist eating the whole bowl!
Serve this black bean and corn salad as a side dish with slow cooker ribs, grilled chicken, grilled pork chops or turkey burgers. Or, enjoy it as an appetizer, with tortilla chips for scooping up the salad.
How to make corn salad
There are three simple steps to making this salad: cook the corn, make the dressing and assemble the salad. Here’s a quick overview of each step. You’ll find the full recipe below.
Cooking the Corn
This recipe starts with fresh sweet corn on the cob. I prefer to cook the corn on the grill, because grilled corn adds so much flavor to the salad.
If you don’t want to head outside to the grill, you can cook the corn for this corn salad recipe in your Instant Pot using my Instant Pot corn on the cob recipe. You can also boil the corn on the cob for 5 to 8 minutes, until the kernels are tender.
To grill the corn for this recipe, remove the husks and silks, wrap the corn cobs in foil, and grill over medium heat for 15 minutes. Grilling corn is so easy! If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it. Also see my grilled vegetables in foil recipe.
Corn Salad Dressing
The dressing for this salad is a simple combination of lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Combine the Ingredients
Before assembling the salad, be sure to allow the cooked corn to cool completely. Then, slice the corn kernels off the cob and place them in a large bowl. Add black beans, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir until everything is well coated. Finally, stir in Cotija cheese and avocado. If you can’t find Cotija, feta cheese is a good substitute.
Make Ahead Tips
This corn salad tastes best if it is chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. This time allows the flavors of the salad to blend together.
The salad will stay fresh for up to two days in the refrigerator. It is best to add the avocado right before serving, to prevent the avocado from browning.
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
- Red Potato Salad
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Berry Fruit Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Southwestern Pasta Salad
Fresh Corn Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 ears fresh corn
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled*
- 1 large avocado, chopped
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, about 3 limes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium heat. Remove husks and silks from corn; rinse and pat dry. Wrap each ear of corn in foil and grill for about 15 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife, turning every 5 minutes. Let stand wrapped in foil for 5 minutes. Unwrap carefully as the corn will be very hot. Let cool.
- While the corn cools, make the dressing. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once corn is cool, carefully use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off the cob. Place corn kernels in a large bowl.
- To the bowl with the corn, add the black beans, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Stir in the Cotija cheese. If serving the salad within 2 hours, you can stir in the avocado now. Otherwise, wait and add the avocado right before serving. Salad is best if chilled for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- We like this salad best with grilled corn, as directed in the recipe. You can also cook the corn in your Instant Pot or boil the corn on the cob for 5 to 8 minutes, until the kernels are tender.
- If you can't find Cotija cheese, feta is a good substitute.
- Salad will stay fresh for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. If you plan to make the salad ahead, it is best to add the avocado right before serving.
I don’t blame you for eating this entire bowl in two days! I know I would do the same, too. I just can’t resist corn salads, and it’s a dish that I make all the time in the summer! This grilled version sounds just perfect, Kristine! I love the black beans and cotija cheese in here. Definitely my kind of meal!
Thank you, Gayle! Grilled corn is my new addiction! 😉
This looks wonderful. I love how colorful it is and the addition of the Cotija cheese is just perfect!
Thank you, Renee! The Cotija was delicious in this salad!
This is such a gorgeous summer salad! I am anxiously waiting for the first fresh corn to be popping out of the ground here and then I definitely want to try grilling it!
Thanks, Ashley! I hope that fresh corn arrives soon!
I honestly think I would eat this whole bowl myself because I live for grilled corn! This looks like THE perfect side dish, Kristine, although I know I could make a meal out of it!
Thank you, Marcie! We had the leftovers for lunch and this was just as good if not better the second day!
Loving grilled corn at the moment! This salad looks delicious, Kristine! Love all the beautiful colours and flavours. 🙂
Thank you, Jess! I’ve recently discovered grilled corn and I’m hooked!
This grilled corn salad looks so fresh and delicious! I would love it plain, on top of tacos, or on a salad 🙂 So yummy and full of flavor!
Thank you, Medha! Putting this on tacos is such a good idea! I’ll be trying that soon. 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made it over the weekend and it was delicious — two thumbs up! However, I live in Toronto and apparently Cotija cheese is not available in Canada. (As the shopkeeper of the local cheese shop explained to me, it has something to do with dairy import/export laws and taxes.) As an alternative, the cheese shopkeeper pointed me to Manouri, a Greek sheep cheese that is firm and slices/crumbles well like Cotija, yet has a soft, smooth texture and mild yet distinctive taste. The Manouri worked very well as an alternative — for your Canadian readers!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this salad, Katherine! That is interesting about the import/export laws. Thanks for sharing your tip about using Manouri cheese!
I just made this again, by far my favorite recipe. It is better when is sits for half a day if time permits.
I’m glad you enjoy this recipe so much! Thanks for adding the tip about letting the salad sit for half a day in the fridge before serving.
I love this salad! Not only is it pretty to look at, it’s so flavorful and the different textures are amazing. It’s very satisfying on its own and the flavors blend even more when it sits overnight. Thanks so much for sending the leftovers home with me.
This is one of my favorites, too! Grilling the corn really makes a difference. I’m happy that you enjoyed the leftovers!
Delicious! I was stuffed but wanted to keep eating. I added a little sliced steak on top to satisfy my hubby but it didn’t need it. The dressing was great too. Thanks for the recipe!
Haha, that is a wonderful compliment! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this. It is one of my favorites!
Absolutely delicious!
I made this salad for 4th of July last year and it was a hit! I got lots of compliments from everyone! ?
So awesome for hot day in AZ ( w crazy heat wave) !! My friend loved it so much, she making for her daughter who just had her first baby!!!!❤️ thank you !!!