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This Tex Mex Black Bean Salad tosses colorful veggies and hearty black beans in a tangy lime dressing for a wholesome, exciting side dish, lunch, or party dip. Vegan and Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option.
Bring this hearty and refreshing Vegan Black Bean Salad to the cookout or barbecue! It’s sure to be a hit at any party, with protein-rich black beans, fresh vegetables, spicy pickled jalapeños, and a 6-ingredient Tex Mex dressing in every bite. There’s just enough heat to peak your palate but tons of tang and freshness to keep you going back for more.
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A Classic for Cookouts…or Lunch!
Sign me up for all the bean salads this summer. From this White Bean Carrot Couscous Salad to this Black Bean Couscous Salad, and now this Black Bean Tex Mex Salad, they’re the perfect hearty-but-fresh side dish or light lunch, especially at picnics, cookouts, and pool parties!
This Tex Mex Salad is one of my favorites. The star of the dish, black beans, make it a great source of plant protein, while crunchy veggies like corn, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño add some sweet and spicy flavor. All tossed in a zesty chili lime salad dressing, this is my go-to meal when I’m craving something flavorful and colorful.
What You Need for Vegan Tex Mex Salad
This easy salad requires hearty black beans and a medley of fresh vegetables, plus 6 simple ingredients for the zesty-smoky dressing.
- Black Beans: hearty black beans, aside from being a must-have Tex Mex ingredient, pack this dish with a ton of plant-based protein and fiber. Stick with canned beans to put this salad together in no time, and feel free to buy an extra can or two to use in this Southwestern Black Bean Casserole.
- Fresh Vegetables: this salad gets its irresistible colors, crunch, and fresh flavors from a medley of corn kernels, bell peppers, grape or cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
- Pickled Jalapeños: these homemade Quick-Pickled Jalapeños are easy to make and add just the right amount of heat to this dish!
- Dressing: the veggies, beans, and jalapeños are tossed in a Tex Mex salad dressing made from oil, lime juice, and everyday spices to balance every bite.
How to Make this Tex Mex Black Bean Salad
- Add the oil, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt to a jar. Seal with a lid and shake until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
- Add the beans, corn, bell pepper, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine.
- Chill the salad in the fridge to let the flavors mingle.
- Serve the salad on the side of your favorite vegan cookout dishes or as a party dip.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Save on prep time: Give your wrist a break! Instead of chopping the veggies by hand, toss the bell pepper, cilantro, and onion in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop them into smaller pieces.
- Let the flavors develop: Give the salad at least 10 minutes to chill in the fridge after it’s assembled. This gives the flavors time to get to know each other, leaving you with the most complex flavors and best bites.
- Double the recipe: I highly recommend doubling this recipe when you need a fun party dip or healthy lunches for the week!
Serving Suggestions
While I’ll happily make this black bean salad year-round, it’s especially perfect as a side salad at backyard barbecues and vegan cookouts. Personally, I love serving it next to cookout classics, like this Vegan Macaroni Salad and these Vegan Beet Burgers, as well as other Tex Mex-inspired recipes, like this Sheet Pan Vegan BBQ and this Creamy Green Enchilada Casserole.
This salad can also be served on top of a bed of romaine lettuce, rolled into vegan burritos, served in lettuce cups, and layered on vegan nachos. Basically, serve it whenever your lunches and dinners could use a little more protein and flavor.
If you’re looking for more fresh and easy salad recipes, you’ll also love this Dilly White Bean and Cucumber Salad, this Mediterranean Farro Salad, and this Everything Bagel Potato Salad!
Or, if you’re craving more vegan Tex Mex recipes, try this Vegan Taco Pasta Salad, this Chipotle Black Bean Chili, or these Vegan Sheet Pan Quesadillas.
How to Store Tex Mex Bean Salad
Transfer the leftover bean salad to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like the leftovers served at room temperature best, so I’ll let them sit on the kitchen counter for about 20 minutes before serving. You can also enjoy them straight from the fridge.
I don’t recommend freezing this salad.
Substitutions and Variations
- Black Bean Substitute: You can swap the black beans for canned pinto beans or kidney beans, or use a mix of all three.
- Add More Vegetables: Feel free to add diced carrots, celery, or sliced radishes for extra crunch. Avocado chunks are more than welcome, too, but add them right before serving to prevent them from browning.
- For a Hearty Boost: Toss the black bean salad with cooked quinoa or baked tofu for more bulk.
- Oil-Free Option: You can omit the oil from the dressing if you want, but the final flavor will be less creamy.
Recipe FAQs
I like the convenience of canned beans but you can cook dried black beans from scratch if you’d like. Soak the beans overnight, then boil them in fresh water until soft and tender. Allow them to cool before adding them to the salad.
The black beans pack this salad with approximately 30 grams of plant protein.
The chili powder in the dressing and pickled jalapeños in the salad do add a touch of mild heat. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, feel free to omit the jalapeños.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Tex Mex Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or sub olive oil
- Juice of 2 limes about 2-3 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Salad:
- 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 ears of fresh corn or ~ 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 small orange bell pepper diced*
- 1/2 cup Pickled Jalapeños roughly chopped, or sub fresh
- 10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 bunch cilantro stems and leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 small red onion fine dice
Instructions
- Dressing: In a small jar add the oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Seal the jar and shake well until emulsified; set aside.
- Salad: Add the beans, corn, bell pepper, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and mix well. Let sit (I like to stick it in the fridge) for at least 10 minutes, to let all of the flavors combine. Add more salt to taste, if necessary.
- Serve: As desired; this is a filling and hearty salad, but can also double as a dip! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Vegetables: If you’d like to save some prep time, pulse the bell pepper, jalapeños, cilantro, and onion in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Oil-Free: You can omit the oil from this recipe if you’d like, but the final flavor will be less creamy
This was so simple to make and refreshing! Very flavorful and pretty with a good variety of texture!
This is very easy to make and very delicious! Wow!
Thank you so much, Paola!
So good as a make-ahead lunch or dinner side! I usually add some chipotle powder since I like things to pack a punch. Overall 10/10 and tastes even better next day when everything soaks up the line and spices
Thanks Erin! Love the addition of chipotle, I’ll have to try that 🙂
What is the serving size and how many servings does this yield? I didn’t see that info with the recipe. I’m using it as a topper for salads, but am thinking about making a bowl with it too.
Hi, Lori! This recipe yields approximately 6 servings, and the serving size would be about one cup. It’s versatile for both salads and bowls! Enjoy experimenting with it.
Soooo good! It’s fresh and has a bit of crunch to it with the bell peppers and red onion. It’s great for leftovers too.
So simple, yet so flavorful! Just made this for dinner tonight & it was absolutely delicious. Thank you for another phenomenal vegan dinner Caitlin! Xoxo.
You’re always welcome, Christin!
So so good!
It´s a new staple in our home. 🙂
Thank you, Laura!
This is DELICIOUS!!! We don’t eat oil, so we omitted it and I added an avocado to give it that creaminess! It’s great on its own, or as a side dish. We rolled it up in a tortilla with some refried beans and called it a meal. Super refreshing and perfect for summer. Thank you Caitlin!!
Yum! That avocado sub sounds perfect 🙂