Easy Avocado, Corn, and Black Bean Salad

This avocado, corn and black bean salad couldn’t be easier. It’s a crowd pleaser for every event! If you are looking for a great avocado salad, this one is sure to please.

Avocado Black Bean Salad

Summer means picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and family gatherings; and that means lots of amazing food! This black bean and avocado salad is the perfect summer dish for any occasion. It celebrates the fresh foods of summer, it pairs perfectly with all the summer classics from burgers to tacos to smoked ribs, and it’s something everyone will enjoy.

What makes this recipe work?

This salad is the ideal summer side dish. This recipe works because it can be partially prepared in advance, and only takes 10 minutes. After you mix it, you can serve it with a variety of main dishes, and it tastes just like summer on a chip. And it can sit out for a few hours as people relax and graze without going bad like other summer classics such as potato salad or pasta salad.

How do I pick out avocados?

Picking a ripe avocado can be as hard as winning the lottery, it seems. But if you know what to look for, you won’t be disappointed. Think of picking avocados like picking bananas. You want to plan ahead a few days because most aren’t ripe when they’re put on the shelf. Avoid fruits with big bumps or blemishes. When peeling and scooping, look for bruises or soft spots and cut them away before putting them in your dish.

When selecting an avocado to ripen on your countertop, pick one that’s green or dark green, with a somewhat smooth skin. The closer it is to being ripe, the smoother and darker the skin will be. If you want avocados that you can eat all week, get a variety ranging from green and bumpy to dark, almost black and smooth, with a shine.

Ripe avocados are dark green or black smooth, and when squeezed, have a little tenderness but are not mushy. If you find one that feels ripe at the store, plan on eating it that day or the very next. When they go soft, they are not tasty. If the avocado has indents, looks shriveled or is dark and still very bumpy, it’s probably not got the best flavor and texture.

To slice an avocado, use a sharp knife and cut all the way around the fruit and peel in half. The pit will stay in one side of the fruit. Holding it in your hand, carefully slice the avocado to the skin, but be careful not to press too hard and cut through, cutting your palm or fingers. Slice both ways, then using a table spoon, scoop the fruit out of the peel. Before putting it into the bowl, glance at the back of the fruit to make sure there were no bruises or soft spots, as they will impact flavor.

What kind of tomatoes should I pick?

Roma tomatoes are the best for salads and salsa. They retain their texture and firmness very well, and they have a lower seed and water content, keeping the salad from becoming soggy or slushy.

Tomatoes actually do best on the counter, not the fridge. Tomatoes, like bananas and avocados, are sold nearly but not totally ripe, and they will ripen on the counter. If you put an unripe tomato in the fridge, it will never fully ripen, but get that mealy, grainy texture that we all hate.

Can I make this in advance?

This easy dish can be started the night before or morning that you plan to serve it. Prepare the beans, corn, and tomatoes in advance and store in an airtight container. Before serving, bring back to room temperature, add the diced tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, lime and salad dressing. Then mix and serve. Add the avocados as close to serving as convenient. Avocados will turn brown from exposure to the air. It takes awhile for the brown to impact the flavor, but it will be less attractive after a few hours on the table.

What should I serve it with?

This black bean avocado salad can be served on its own, and holds up well as a standalone side dish. However, it’s really tasty served with a tortilla chip, which serves as a bonus since it’s like a built in spoon! I love the Tostitos Hint of Lime chip because it adds a little extra zing, but any tortilla chip rounds out the flavor of the salad really well.

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 ripe avocados, cubed
• 1/3 cup Zesty Italian dressing
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro, as desired
• juice of 1-2 limes, as desired
• tortilla chips, for serving, if desired

Recipe

Drain and rinse black beans, black eyed peas, and corn. Add diced tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, lime, and dressing.

Mix gently to combine while avoiding crushing the avocados. Serve immediately, with tortilla chips if desired.

Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for no more than two days. If you think you won’t use it all at once, reserve part in advance and do not add avocados until serving that portion.

Other Salads You May Enjoy:

• Easy Watergate Jello Salad
• Easy Red Skin Potato Salad with Bacon (Stove and Instant Pot Instructions)
• 4-Ingredient Pesto Pasta Salad
• Easy Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Easy Snickers Salad with Apple
• The Best Instant Pot Potato Salad
• Copycat Longhorn Steakhouse Salad and Ranch Dressing Recipe
• Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad

This black bean avocado salad is so simply, you’ll be making it time and time again!