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Top-down look at a dense bean salad with black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, corn, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, drizzled with lime juice.

Dense Bean Salad

A colorful dense bean salad with black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, corn, and bell peppers in a zesty lime dressing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Southwest
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels fresh, canned, or thawed from frozen
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 red onion finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method
 

  1. Drain and Rinse Beans:

    Drain and rinse the black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

  2. Add Corn to Bowl:

    Add the corn to the bowl. If using frozen corn, thaw beforehand. If using canned corn, drain thoroughly. Fresh corn can be used directly.

  3. Dice Peppers and Onion:

    Dice the red and yellow (or orange) bell peppers. Finely dice the red onion. For a milder taste, remove the jalapeño seeds before dicing. Place all chopped vegetables into the bowl.

  4. Chop Fresh Cilantro:

    Chop the fresh cilantro and fold it into the bean and vegetable mixture.

  5. Whisk Dressing Ingredients:

    In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.

  6. Toss Salad and Chill:

    Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Stir again just before serving.