This no-cook black bean salad is always a crowd-pleasure and makes the perfect side dish for lots of different meals! Ready in less than 10 minutes, you can serve this recipe as a dip, over your favorite grilled protein or fish, or serve it as a salad!
Raise your hand if you enjoy a home-cooked meal without putting so much effort into making it? Raise your hand higher if you don’t even need to turn on the stove or oven? Because this non-cook black bean salad is your new best friend.
Why you need to try this black bean salad
- So good! Confession: I’m not a fan of beans until I went to Chipotle and was given an option to add beans to my order. But still, I rarely make anything with beans; so, trust me when I say this one is so good!
- Colorful dish. Have I mentioned how much I adore this mango salsa because it’s so colorful?
- Perfect for the whole family, including your vegan friends
- Makes the perfect side dish for lots of different meals!
- Can be easily customized. Make it into a salad by adding shredded lettuce or baby spinach and a generous amount of guacamole
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The ingredients
- Black beans – canned drained, rinsed and dried well…and Bush’s makes the best black beans
- Bell pepper. I use a combination of three colors
- Tomatoes. Uhmm okay, I do a shortcut version with cherry tomatoes
- Red onion for an extra crunch
- Olive oil to make the dressing
- Lime juice to add some zesty flavor
- Cumin powder, chili pepper, salt, cilantro – all make a perfect combo for this salad
How to make a no-cook black bean salad
- First, drain and rinse black beans. Add to a bowl with diced bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, and diced red onion
- Make the dressing by combining the rest of the ingredients
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Check if you need to add more salt
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and this tastes even better the next day
Best way to serve black bean salad
Here are some of my favorites:
- Rice bowl. Adding black bean salad to a rice bowl is surprisingly delicious!
- Salad, especially quinoa salad. Or make your own salad bowl by adding shredded lettuce or baby spinach and a generous amount of guacamole
- As a dip to pair up with tortilla chips or crackers.
- This salad also makes a delicious topping for nachos.
Black bean salad variations
You can customize this salad and add some ingredients to it. My favorites include corn, avocado, and chopped jalapenos.
Storing
You can store black bean salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Making no-cook black bean salad takes literally 10 minutes. The hardest part is waiting to dig in after you mix everything together.
No-Cook Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce black beans canned drained, rinsed and dried well
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 1 cup diced bell peppers any colors
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of chili pepper
- Juice of 1 lime and zest
Instructions
- Drain and rinse black beans. Add to a bowl with diced bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, and diced red onion
- Make the dressing by combining the rest of the ingredients
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Check if you need to add more salt
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and this tastes even better the next day
Mandy Applegate says
This was SO good, I love black beans so this was right up my street!
Sherry says
This is the perfect snack recipe to keep me on my diet. Love the layers of flavor and it is so easy to make!!
Lynn Polito says
This salad is so delicious and so refreshing!
Susannah says
What a beautiful salad! It’s so colorful and was so delicious. Will be making again for sure.
Jennifer says
Loved this fresh and flavorful salad – and the spices in the dressing were spot on!
Patrice says
This was so good and it’s going to make a perfection addition to my summer menu. No Oven..winner..winner!
Claire says
I love anything no cook!!! Especially things I can keep in the fridge and snack on through out the day.
Delicious stuffed into warm flour tortilla wraps 🙂
Rupali says
This is heaven-sent for those rushed mornings when I do not have time to pack nutritious lunch for myself. So filling, and delicious. Love that I do not have to cook anything.
Kathy Hester says
Thank you for my go-to summer lunch!