Creamy Chipotle Bean Salad

This creamy chipotle bean salad helps elevate your high fiber beans into a satisfying, spicy, and umami packed addition to any meal.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chipotle Bean Salad

• Easy to make. This recipe involves minimal cooking. Just add your salad components to a bowl, whip up the dressing then toss together before enjoying.
• A great way to boost protein and fiber. This nutrient dense salad can help transform any meal into a satisfying meal. Add as a side or use it to build up your next epic meal.
• Customizable. Consider any of the ingredient substitutions below to make this meal your own.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beans: I used a combination of pinto beans and cannellini beans. Feel free to change up the beans to ones you like. Personally, I feel both lend an added creamy element to this dish that works well with the sauce.
• Corn: As I write this, it is corn season, so I tend to prefer fresh corn, but feel free to use frozen or canned corn instead! My main tip is to drain them both well before cooking in the pan, which will help prevent unnecessary splatter in the kitchen.
• Sun-dried Tomatoes: Adds a layer of extra umami as well as a nice chewy bite. I used a julienned variety that comes in a jar of oil, but feel free to use
• Chipotle Peppers: We are using the variety that comes in a can packed with adobo sauce. You can also use 3-4 tbsp of BBQ sauce if you don’t like spice. I would just leave out the sweetener when blending, taste and add sweetener to taste.
• Yogurt: My preferred brands of yogurt to use are the plain Silk Soy yogurt, Forager Project, or the thick Kite Hill Greek Style Yogurt if it is available where you are. I find these yogurts are the thickest and have a nice tang to them for applications like this. If unable to find these, feel free to use all vegan mayo.
• Mayo: Feel free to use your favorite brand of mayo. I used the vegan mayo from NotCo, but Follow Your Heart is an OG and I will always turn to that when the first isn’t available.
• Lime: I recommend fresh since you will be needing the zest and juice for the sauce.
• Herbs: I used cilantro, but you can also leave herbs out or swap for some parsley. This will help to add some freshness to the dish.
• Radish: Adds a lovely crunch to the salad and compliments the spicy dressing. Feel free to omit or replace with more bell pepper if desired.
• Bell Pepper: Any color you love will do.

How to Make a Creamy Chipotle Bean Salad

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to warm through then add the corn. Using a spatula, spread the corn out evenly over the surface of the pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes. Give the corn a stir, spread it out again and leave undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until the corn starts to char around the edges.

Add the onions along with a pinch of salt and saute with the corn for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and continue to saute until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

To a large mixing bowl add the beans, bell pepper, radish, the sauteed corn mix, sun-dried tomato, and cilantro.

To prepare the sauce, add the chipotle peppers, garlic, yogurt, mayo, lime, sweetener, vinegar, and kosher salt to a blender cup then blend on high until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the bowl of beans, then toss together until fully mixed with the sauce. For the best flavor, cover the beans and allow to marinate in the fridge for up to 1 hour before serving. Serve your beans as a side or make it a meal by serving it with a cooked grain of choice and some avocado.

Expert Tips

• Minimize chopping. Use thawed frozen or canned corn, just make sure to drain well before cooking. You can also use a vegetable chopper to help dice all the vegetables for this recipe as well.
• Adjust the spice level. Use 1-2 chipotle peppers if you are looking for less spice. If you want no spice, consider swapping the chipotle peppers with 3-4 tbsp of your favorite barbecue sauce.
• Change up the vegetables. I used what I love, so I recommend you use what you love. Swap any of the vegetables for something in season. I would caution from swapping to anything that is overly watery as it can get soggy as it sits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Build a Nourishing Meal

Here are some ideas for enjoying this bean salad:

• Serve over your favorite grains. For a higher protein bowl consider quinoa or farro.
• Enjoy in a high protein burrito wrap stuffed with your favorite greens and some avocado slices.
• Add it as a side to any meal to bump up the protein and fiber of your meal.
• Stuff into some warm tortillas and serve as tacos.

More Nutrient Packed Bean Salads

• Marinated Onion Bean Salad
• Ginger Shallot Chopped Bean Salad
• Grilled Veggie Bean Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
• Crispy Lentil Salad with Cilantro Chive Dresing
• Lemon Herb Smashed Cucumber Salad

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

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