This Mexican salad with cilantro lime dressing makes a great side for BBQs and it’s also perfect for lunch. The recipe couldn’t be much easier and it’s packed with nutrients. Easy, healthy, and delicious at the same time!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I love Mexican flavors. But who doesn’t, right? I’ve been making this easy Mexican salad for years and it’s one of my favorite summer salads.
So it’s definitely time to share it on the blog with you guys! I’ve used the same dressing I used for my Southwestern pasta salad.
It’s an easy combination of fresh lime juice, olive oil, ground cilantro, paprika powder, and a splash of maple syrup. Easy and delicious!
What You Need For The Mexican Salad:
- canned black beans
- corn
- cherry tomatoes
- bell pepper (I used a red and a yellow one)
- an avocado
- a red onion
- fresh lime juice
- olive oil
- ground cumin
- paprika powder
- white wine vinegar
- maple syrup
- garlic
- salt and pepper
As always, you can find the full ingredient list in a separate, printable recipe box at the end of this post.
How To Make This Salad:
1. STEP: Rinse and drain the black beans and the corn. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and the avocado and the bell pepper into medium-sized pieces. Finely chop the cilantro. Chop the red onion.
2. STEP: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. STEP: Make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until combined.
4. STEP: Pour the dressing over the vegetables and beans and stir well. Enjoy!
Ways to Serve This Salad
This salad…
- is great with nachos.
- makes a quick and healthy lunch.
- is a wonderful side to burgers or other grilled food.
- makes the perfect addition to Mexican entrées like burritos or tacos.
- is perfect for potlucks and picnics.
Recipe Notes:
- I usually use frozen or canned corn for my salad because it’s super quick. But it’s even better with fresh corn if it’s available!
- I like using red onion because it adds some nice color to the salad. But it works just as well with a white onion. Or you could also use green onions if you want.
- Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this salad will last up to 3 days if you don’t add the avocado right away. Unfortunately, the avocado will go bad pretty quickly. But don’t worry, if you bring it to a picnic or potluck, there will most likely be no leftovers!
- This salad also makes a great filling for my Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes.
More Vegan Salad Recipes You Might Like:
- Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Dressing
- Bulgur Salad
- Southwestern Pasta Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- California Pasta Salad
- 12 Amazing Vegan Salad Recipes
- 14 Fresh and Easy Summer Salads
I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS!
I hope you like this Mexican salad as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Mexican Salad
Ingredients
For the Mexican Salad:
- 1 can black beans
- 1 1/2 cups corn (canned or frozen)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1 cup bell pepper, cut into medium-sized pieces
- 1 avocado, cut into medium-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
For the Dressing;
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 splash maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- black pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the black beans and the corn. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and the avocado and the bell pepper into medium-sized pieces. Finely chop the cilantro. Chop the red onion.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until combined.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and beans and stir well. Enjoy!
Notes
- I usually use frozen or canned corn for my salad because it's super quick. But it's even better with fresh corn if it's available!
- I like using red onion because it adds some nice color to the salad. But it works just as well with a white onion. Or you could also use green onions if you want.
- Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this salad will last up to 3 days if you don't add the avocado right away. Unfortunately, the avocado will go bad pretty quickly. But don't worry, if you bring it to a picnic or potluck, there will most likely be no leftovers!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I had a Mexican theme party to attend last night and what the heck was I going to bring??? Online I went searching and found a few but chose yours and you’re right, I came home with an empty bowl. Someone was scraping the sides to get the last of it. Yay! It was a hit! So much so I just made it again today and gave half to my friend across the street who I made be my taste tester yesterday. She too loved it! Thank you again!
I was looking for someone different for Taco Tuesday and ran across your recipe and thought I’d give it a try because I already had all of the ingredients on hand. All I can say is wow. I’m not a big fan of spicy food but this had just the right amount of a kick. I decided to make this into a meal by add some left over chicken breast. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Highly recommend. Thanks Sina