Spicy Black Bean, Corn and Shrimp Salad – a simple supper, ready in under 30 minutes

The spicy black bean salad with the corn & tomatoes, the base of this dish, is one of my all time favorite beans salads. Not only is it colorful and full of flavor, the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. It’s bursting with summer flavors and is great for a covered dish affair. People ooh & ah over it at a party and always want the recipe.

When I saw a very similar bean salad on the internet that was garnished with shrimp and served over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce with crunchy tortilla chips on the side, it inspired me to try my version of the bean salad in the recipe. By the way, the salad that inspired this used an avocado. My recipe does not normally include an avocado. If you are taking the salad to a party where it will sit out for a while, I would omit the avocado as it might turn brown.

The recipe calls for cooked shrimp. We seasoned our peeled shrimp with Hungarian paprika, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and sautéed them in a tiny bit of olive oil. Grilling the shrimp would also be very nice. Ina Garten has a super easy recipe for shrimp that I’ve used many times. She seasons the shrimp, then roasts them in a preheated 400 degree F oven on a sheet pan for about 8 to 10 minutes and they turn out perfectly every time. So you have lots of choices on the shrimp.

I find that cutting corn off of the cob to be messy. Invariably a few of the kernels fly across the counter or end up on the floor. Some recipes tell you cut the corn into a bowl, but that can be tricky with the knife and worse yet, damage your knife blade. So I’ve been cutting the corn directly onto a paper plate and found that not only did it not damage the knife blade, but most of the kernels actually stayed on the plate for a change. Give it a try the next time you need to cut corn off of the cob and see how it works for you.

Spicy Black Bean, Corn and Shrimp Salad
Inspired by All You, serves 4

2 ears of freshly cooked yellow corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or fresh basil if you don’t like cilantro)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons canola oil, or other neutral tasting oil
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped scallions, including some green tops
½ cup chopped tomatoes, well drained, grape tomatoes cut in half are nice
1 avocado, preferably Hass, peeled, pitted and cut into ½” dice (optional)
Kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound cooked, peeled shrimp, cooled, either left whole or cut into chunks
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Tortilla chips for garnish, either purchased or homemade

Cut kernels off ears of corn and add to a large bowl, along with the beans, cilantro, lime juice, oil, cumin, red onion, scallions, tomatoes, and avocado if using.  Season the mixture with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to taste. If preparing in advance, add the avocado & tomatoes at the last minute. Arrange lettuce on a serving plate, spoon bean salad on top, garnish with the shrimp, and serve with tortilla chips.

Printable recipe

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farms, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes, and Seasonal Sunday at the Tablescaper.

Have a great weekend everyone.