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This Southwest Bean Salad is hearty, bold, and packed with serious flavor. It’s loaded with chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, crunchy veggies, and tossed in a bright lime cumin vinaigrette. It’s filling enough to eat on its own and perfect for meal prep since it gets better the longer it sits.
Love a good bean salad? You need to try our Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad recipe as well as our protein packed Edamame Salad and our Avocado Black Bean Salad!
The bean salad I can’t stop eating!
I’ve been eating this southwestern bean salad on repeat lately, and it’s officially my go-to lazy workday lunch. I make a big batch, stick it in the fridge, and then scoop it with tortilla chips straight into a bowl whenever hunger strikes – no reheating, no thinking, no effort required. It’s filling, flavorful, and somehow makes me feel like I have my life together even when I’m eating lunch at my desk.
It’s also incredible on my vegetarian taco salad or a good burrito bowl!
Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Hearty, filling, and protein-packed!
- Naturally vegetarian and easy to make vegan
- Perfect for meal prep – it gets better with time!
- Great as a side dish or a main
In this post…
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this southwestern black bean salad are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
For the bean salad
- BEANS! – we’re using chickpeas, black beans, and pinto beans for this recipe but really any beans you prefer will work well! The black and pinto beans really give this a southwestern lean but do what feels good for you!
- Sweet Corn – Fresh corn, frozen (thawed), or canned all work.
- Red bell pepper – Adds crunch and sweetness. Really any color bell pepper will work.
- Cherry tomatoes – Juicy and bright! Roma tomatoes would also work well in this recipe!
- Red onion – Sharp bite that mellows as it sits. Green onions would also taste delicious!
- Jalapeño – Optional heat; remove seeds for milder spice.
- Cilantro – Essential for that fresh Southwest flavor. If you’re cilantro-averse, parsley will work but the flavor will change. You can also just leave it out altogether.
For the Southwestern Vinaigrette
- Olive oil – Creates a smooth, balanced dressing.
- Fresh lime juice – Key to the bright, zippy flavor.
- Honey or agave – Balances the acidity and spice.
- Spices – simple warming spices including cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika + salt and pepper.
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- Combine all of the beans and veggies in a LARGE bowl including chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro + jalapeno.
- Make the dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Drizzle over the salad and toss so that everything is well covered. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- Dice everything fairly small so the salad stays “dense” and scoopable.
- Rinse beans very well to remove excess starch and prevent a gummy texture.
- Let the salad rest at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor. It’s actually best the next day!
- Add avocado just before serving if you want creaminess without browning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This salad keeps very well and actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge.
It’s mild as written. For more heat, leave the jalapeño seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne or hot sauce.
Absolutely. Just drain it well before adding.
Southwest Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels, fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned
- 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 medium jalapeño, finely minced (seeds removed for less heat)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup cotija cheese
For the Southwest vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, black beans, and pinto beans very well. Shake off excess water and add them to a large bowl. Add the corn, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, honey (or agave), cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika (if using), garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Add in the cotija and toss gently.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Taste again and adjust seasoning if needed. If adding avocado, wait and do it on an individual basis as you’re eating the salad. I do NOT suggest adding the avocado in if you’e making this for meal prep.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
