Charred Corn Bean Salad with Zucchini Salsa
Use your abundance of zucchini to make a zucchini salsa you can use for dipping or mixing into a charred corn bean salad. No avocados required!
One of the best ways to use up those extra zucchinis is to blend them up into the creamiest dressing. No avocados required, but still gives the vibes of a blended avocado salsa without the worry of it going bad too quickly.
The inspiration for this dressing actually comes from salsa falsa, or as others may refer to it, salsa verde taquera. An incredibly popular salsa served by Taqueros (taco vendors) in Mexico. Now, normally this salsa uses calabacita (Mexican zucchini), tomatillos, jalapeño and serrano peppers, which get cooked, seasoned, and blended into the creamiest salsa and served with your tacos.
For this version, I’m using zucchinis, onion, and chili as the base for an incredible creamy dressing that feels equally good on everything. Still, no avocados required, and is incredibly delicious tossed with your favorite summer produce while it lasts.
Why You’ll Love This Salsa Falsa Bean Salad
- A good way to use up your zucchini. Cook your zucchini then blend directly into the salsa. It helps make a thick and creamy sauce similar to an avocado salsa.
- No avocados required. The creaminess comes directly from the zucchini, which means you don’t have to worry about this bean salad oxidizing/browning quickly. So, yes, it is perfect to meal prep for the week ahead!
- Packed with fiber. I always keep a batch of beans in the fridge because it’s one of the tastiest ways to get in the fiber I need for the day. Toss that fiber with a delicious sauce and I’ll happily eat those beans on the regular.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Corn: Fresh corn is great, but frozen charred corn is a great convenient swap.
- Shishito Peppers: A savory pepper. Rarely, you might end up with one that is spicy, so if you are not a fan of spice, consider swapping with some sweet mini peppers instead.
- Jalapeño: Used for the sauce, but can be left out or swapped for 1/4 of a green bell pepper.
- Zucchini: Summer squash is a great alternative.
- Beans: I always opt for 2 different beans that provide a textural difference. Chickpeas tend to be firmer and cannellini beans tend to be creamier in texture, which provide for the best bite when combined. Some great swaps include black beans, red kidney beans, edamame, navy beans, or butter beans.
- Artichoke Hearts: I recommend jarred marinated artichoke hearts. Sun-dried tomatoes are a great swap.
- Shallot: Alternatively, 1/4 of a small white onion can work or the whites of 4 scallions.
- Bouillon: This adds deeper flavors to our salsa. I prefer to use a vegetable bouillon cube or the Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Paste. Alternatively, you can use a teaspoon of yellow miso paste.
How to Make a Charred Corn Bean Salad and Zucchini Salsa
Char the vegetables: Cook the corn in a dry cast-iron pan or griddle for about 10-12 mins, turning the corn with tongs occasionally until evenly charred on all sides. Transfer to a cutting board and when safe to handle, cut the kernels off the cob. Use the same pan to cook the shishito peppers until some of the peppers start to char and blister. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, drizzle with about 1 tsp of oil, toss to coat, and remove from heat.
Combine in a bowl: To a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, cannellini beans, corn, shishito peppers, artichoke hearts, and 1/3 cup cilantro.
Cook the zucchini: Cook the zucchini undisturbed in oil for 5 mins, or until the bottoms look golden and lightly brown. Toss and cook for another 2 mins. Add in the shallot, jalapeño, garlic, and a pinch of salt, then cook for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are golden.
Blend the salsa: Transfer the cooked zucchini, shallot, jalapeño, garlic, and oil to a blender cup. Add the vinegar, vegetable bouillon, and 1/3 cup cilantro, then blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Mix everything together: Pour half the salsa on top of the bean mix then toss together. Stir in more salsa as needed until evenly coated. You can reserve any extra salsa to use however you like. See notes below for serving suggestions.
Expert Tips
- Make the dressing ahead of time. Cook and blend up the dressing ingredients then store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Adjust for spice. Some, not all shishito peppers might be spicy. If you are sensitive to spice, consider swapping the shishito peppers for mini sweet peppers and the jalapeño with 1/4 of a green bell pepper.
- Adjust creaminess. The dressing is meant to be thick, but if it’s too thick to blend, add 1-2 tbsp of water at a time until the dressing is at your desired consistency.
- Use a saucepan to cook the dressing ingredients. Zucchini has a lot of water to it, so when cooked in oil, it can pop. Make sure to cook over medium low heat in a saucepan with tall sides to avoid oil splatter on your stovetop.
- If you have a grill or griddle, you are lucky! Use it to cook all your veggies all at once to save time.
How long will the bean salad last?
This salad keeps well. Just store the bean salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When serving, just give it a toss so that the salad is evenly coated in the dressing.
Make It Balanced
Whenever I plan a bean salad, I always find a variety of ways to enjoy it so I don’t end up bored of it by the end of the week. Here are some ways you can enjoy this specific batch.
- Serve with plantains: You could serve this over mashed boiled plantains or make oven baked tostones to serve on the side.
- Enjoy with more protein: Top this with some feta-style marinated tofu to make this even more satisfying.
- Stuff your bean salad: Make this meal a handheld by adding it to some corn tortillas or your favorite large flour tortilla to turn into a burrito.
Watch Me Make This Recipe
Recipe videos provide a general idea for recipe preparation. Please read the full recipe instructions and notes for the most accurate recipe results.
More Nutritious Bean Salads to Try
- Marinated Antipasto Bean Salad
- Dan Dan Charred Cabbage Bean Salad
- Marinated Cilantro Lime Bean Salad
- Marinated Sun-dried Tomato Bean Salad
- Marinated White Balsamic & Date Bean 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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Charred Corn Bean Salad with Zucchini Salsa
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Use your abundance of zucchini to make a zucchini salsa you can use for dipping or mixing into a charred corn bean salad. No avocados required!
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 2 ears of yellow corn, shucked
- 8 oz shishito peppers, stems removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1, 15 oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, divided
- Kosher salt
Zucchini Salsa
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small zucchini, roughly chopped (~200g)
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, stem removed and roughly chopped (add extra heat by including a serrano pepper)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 bouillon vegetable bouillon cube or 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Paste
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat a dry medium cast-iron pan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, place the ears of corn directly on the pan and grill for about 10-12 minutes, turning the corn with tongs occasionally until the corn is evenly charred on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When safe to handle, cut the kernels off the cob.
- Return the pan back to the burner and add in the shishito peppers. Spread them out to cover the bottom of the pan then cook undisturbed for 2 minutes or until some of the peppers start to char and blister. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and drizzle with about 1 tsp of oil. Give them a toss to coat, then remove from heat.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, cannellini beans, corn, shishito peppers, artichoke hearts, and 1/3 cup cilantro.
- For the sauce, add 3 tbsp of oil to a medium saucepan and place on the stove over medium-low heat. When hot, add the zucchini and cook undisturbed in the oil for 5 minutes, or until the bottoms look golden and lightly brown. Give the zucchini a toss and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the shallot, jalapeño, garlic, and a pinch of salt, then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are nice and golden.
- Transfer the cooked zucchini, shallot, jalapeño, garlic, and oil from the pan to a blender cup. Add the vinegar, vegetable bouillon, and 1/3 cup cilantro, then blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste the salsa to see if you need to add additional salt.
- Pour half the salsa on top of the bean mix then toss together. Stir in more salsa as needed until everything is evenly coated, then enjoy! You can reserve any of leftover salsa to use however you like. See notes below for serving suggestions.
Notes
Make the dressing ahead of time. Cook and blend up the dressing ingredients then store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Adjust for spice. Some, not all shishito peppers might be spicy. If you are sensitive to spice, consider swapping the shishito peppers for mini sweet peppers and the jalapeño with 1/4 of a green bell pepper.
Adjust creaminess. The dressing is meant to be thick, but if it’s too thick to blend, add 1-2 tbsp of water at a time until the dressing is at your desired consistency.
Use a saucepan to cook the dressing ingredients. Zucchini has a lot of water to it, so when cooked in oil, it can pop. Make sure to cook over medium low heat in a saucepan with tall sides to avoid oil splatter on your stovetop.
If you have a grill or griddle, you are lucky! Use it to cook all your veggies all at once to save time.
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