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30 min total

👨‍👩‍👧 Family-friendly

🧺 Pantry staples

🍽 Dinner

Brighten any meal with this colourful and zesty Mexican corn and black bean salad. It’s incredibly simple to prepare, making it a fantastic last-minute side dish.

Quick Mexican Corn and Black Bean Salad

This vibrant side dish is the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican-inspired meal, ready in under 15 minutes. It’s fresh, light, and introduces a burst of colour and flavour that will beautifully complement tacos, fajitas, or enchiladas. Its sheer simplicity makes it an ideal choice for evenings when time is of the essence, yet you’re unwilling to compromise on taste.

Quick Overview

  • Preparation Time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 0 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 14.1 oz (400g) tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 10.6 oz (300g) tin of sweetcorn, drained
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 5.3 oz (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 fl oz (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder (or less, to taste)
  • Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Drain and thoroughly rinse the black beans and sweetcorn under cold running water, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the finely chopped red onion, halved or quartered cherry tomatoes, and fresh coriander to the bowl.
  3. In a small separate bowl, prepare the dressing: squeeze in the lime juice, add the olive oil, ground cumin, chilli powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk well until emulsified.
  4. Pour the dressing over the corn and bean salad. Gently mix to combine all the ingredients, ensuring they are thoroughly coated.
  5. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, or additional lime juice if necessary. Serve immediately or after a short rest.

Serving & Leftovers

This vibrant salad is excellent served fresh or at room temperature. It makes an ideal accompaniment for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or as a base for a grain bowl. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. For the best freshness, we recommend enjoying it as soon as possible.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portions.

One Last Thing

Having reliable, quick recipes like this one transforms your culinary routine. It empowers you to prepare flavourful, balanced dishes even when time is tight, fostering a habit of efficient, stress-free cooking, and making home-cooked meals a daily certainty.

The SmartKitchen30 Method

Prepare everything first.

Cook over steady heat, without rushing.

Finish with balance — not complexity.

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