If you’re looking for a vegetarian or vegan meal to make, try out this Mexican Black Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing. It’s fast and tastes great!

The reason I came up with this recipe is because so many Mexican-inspired dishes will use lime in conjunction with the Mexican flavors, which I love. But one day I thought I would mix it up a bit and try out a lemon flavored dressing over a Mexican inspired salad.

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To make this a vegan recipe, simply don’t add the feta cheese (sometimes we don’t use this, anyways.)

It turned out pretty great, and everyone I’ve made this for has enjoyed it so far. This is a fabulous salad to eat for lunch and the black beans make it filling!

And less than 30 minutes to make… Yes!

I would recommend using a good quality taco seasoning- you don’t want one that’s going to be too salty either.

The black beans are meant to be served warm (but not hot) over a cold salad, similar to the idea of a taco salad, (although we’re going for a bit of a different flavor here.)

I would love to know what you think if you try this!

Mexican Black Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Yields: 6-8 Servings | Prep Time: 15 mins (split) | Cooking Time: 8-9 mins | Cooling Time: 5 mins |

Total Time: <30 mins

Mexican Black Beans:
*3 cans black beans-15.5 oz each, drained
*1 to 1-1/2 cups tomato juice
*1 package taco seasoning (1 oz)

Salad and Toppings:
*1 lb package mixed lettuce (I use organic spring mix)
*1 large cucumber, diced
*2 large tomatoes, diced
*1 small onion, diced
*1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*Feta cheese, optional (omit if you need this to be vegan)

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:
*2 tsp salt
*1/8 tsp pepper
*3 Tbsp cane sugar (you can also use white)
*1 tsp onion powder
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1 tsp dried oregano
*4 Tbsp bottled lemon juice or juice of 2 small lemons (about 6 Tbsp of fresh)
*8 Tbsp white vinegar
*8 Tbsp vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium sauce pot, pour in beans, tomato juice, and taco seasoning, and stirring occasionally, cook on medium heat for 8-9 mins or until everything is heated through and the beans have picked up the Mexican flavor. Remove from heat after. (You can start out with 1  cup of tomato juice and add more if too much liquid evaporates.)
2. While black beans are cooking, mix up all of the lemon vinaigrette dressing ingredients in a jar/container. Then, cover and refrigerate the dressing until you need it later.
3. Chop up your toppings- cucumber, onion, and tomato. (I buy pre-chopped walnuts, but if yours are not, you can chop these now too.)
4. Place 2-3 cups of lettuce (or however much each person wants) on plates or bowls to serve. Using a slotted serving spoon, top each serving with 1-2 spoonfuls of warm black beans (after they have cooled a few mins and aren’t piping hot.)
5. Sprinkle a small portion of the remaining toppings over each serving- a little bit of onion, tomato, cucumber, walnuts, and feta (if using/not vegan.)
6. Stir/shake the lemon dressing well immediately before using and then drizzle over each serving to taste.

NOTES:

1. You may end up needing more or less lettuce depending on what type of mix you use and how much lettuce you like per serving. (We usually get a pound container of spring mix and I will often have some leftover afterwards.)
2. I personally like adding 6 Tbsp of lemon juice to the dressing if it’s fresh squeezed instead of the 4 Tbsp (from a bottle) because I find the bottled juice is a bit more potent, but you can always start out with less and add more in to taste if needed. I have made this dressing both ways multiple times.
3. Don’t forget to stir or shake the lemon vinaigrette dressing immediately before each use, because it will separate easily.

Did you enjoy this recipe? We would love to hear your feedback in the comments!

P.S. Don’t miss downloading your FREE Printable Flavorful Meal Plan Guide before you go!

Have a great day!