This black bean, corn, feta dip is so simple, yet so delicious.
Serve it with fresh tortilla chips, and you’ll be instantly obsessed! The saltiness of the chips and feta combine with the fresh crispiness of the veggies, the hint of lime, and the heavy weightiness of the bean corn combo to create a perfectly balanced dip, both in taste and texture.
It’s also super easy. You feta believe your guests will be asking for this super simple black bean corn feta dip recipe!
Why I LOVE This Black Bean Corn Feta Dip
There’s a lot to love about this recipe, especially when the warm weather potluck, picnic, and backyard grilling season begins.
Dips are such a great summer entertaining option – and this one (along with my whipped feta dip) is a crowd pleaser!
This Black Bean, Corn and Feta Dip is Perfect for Picnics and Pot Lucks
The problem with getting a dish together for a summer party, picnic or potluck is always timing. No matter how far in advance I prepare, I find I’m always running behind when it comes time to get a dish together, and get out the door.
That’s one of the reasons I LOVE this black bean, corn and feta dip for summer parties.
It gets better with a bit of refrigeration!
I actually find refrigerating the dip for roughly 2 hours before serving actually makes the flavors stand out a bit more.
That means you can make it the morning of an event, dress it with lime, pop it in the fridge, and then pull it out as your guests arrive.
It also means you have more time for planning summer cocktails, games, or other fun party ideas!
No Cook, Easiness at its Finest
Even better, is the fact that this black bean corn feta dip is no cook.
That makes it’s a super easy choice to bring it a picnic or a backyard BBQ at friend’s and family’s houses.
Make the morning of, pop it in the fridge while you’re getting ready and running around managing other tasks, and then take it out of the fridge right before you leave. It will be perfect!
Simple to Transport
It’s also easy to transport, since the whole thing works best when all the ingredients have been jumbled together!
This is one of those dishes where you don’t want everything to be separate, with a clear wall between the black bean section and the corn section!
Nah….it’s better mixed up!
Let the black bean section mingle with the corn feta area! No time for them to be shy!
Hello, Feta Cheese
Of course, the feta cheese is one of the stars of this recipe.
Soft, creamy and salty, it works beautifully with the freshness of the tomatoes, sharp crunch of the red onions, and with the beans, corn and cilantro.
If you love the feta-tomatoes combo, or the feta-tomatoes-onions combo, you’ll also want to check out my loaded Greek fries and baked feta pasta).
If available, I always recommend buying high quality Greek feta in a block, rather than pre-crumbled, for the best flavor.
Tips for this Black Bean Corn Feta Dip Recipe
Use High Quality Tortilla Chips
One thing worth considering about this feta dip: black bean and corn really add some weight!
Because of this, you want to serve it with fairly substantial tortilla chips that are able to handle the weightiness of the dip, without breaking.
Scoops also work great!
Use Rinsed and Drained Black Beans and Corn
This recipe uses canned black beans and canned corn.
Canned black beans come stored in a chalky dark bean liquid which is …. kind of gross.
Ditto for canned corn: milky, corny liquid that no one wants to see in their salsa!
As such, you really need to use the corn and black beans, drained and rinsed!
Start with the beans. Open the can of beans, and then empty the entire contents of the can into a colander/strainer over your sink.
Rinse the beans with cool water, using your hands to shuffled the beans around and ensure the ones at the bottom get rinsed, too. Rinse until the liquid runs clear, and all the canning liquid is gone.
Shake the colander a bit to encourage draining, and set them aside for a few minutes to give the rest of the rinsing water a chance to drain away. Nobody wants wet black bean dip, after all!
Repeat the process with the canned corn. It should be a bit faster to rinse the corn liquid away.
Voila, you’ve got rinsed and drained beans and corn to work with!
Black Bean Corn Feta Dip Recipe
One of the best things about this bean, corn and feta salsa is how easy it is to make!
It’s one of those wonderful things in life where the effort involved in making it (minimal) is dwarfed by the result (maximum taste!).
The feta really makes easy recipes possible – it’s got such a unique and tangy flavor, even simple meals like this dip and omelettes stand out!
Ingredients to Make This Black Bean Corn Feta Dip
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 fresh limes, juiced
- Small bunch of cilantro (about 2 Tbsps, chopped)
- Tortilla chips (1 bag)
How to Make This Black Bean, Corn, Feta Dip
First, wash and pat to dry all your produce. Then dice your fresh tomatoes and red onion. Add to a large serving bowl.
Next, it’s time to get the black beans (rinsed and drained) ready. Follow the tips above, and then add them to the bowl. Ditto with the corn: drained and rinsed corn goes into the bowl.
Roughly chop the cilantro and add it into the corn, veggie and bean mixture.
Then crumble your feta over top, and mix it in.
Finally, juice the limes over the salsa and mix the juice in.
Again, I find that if you chill this for 2 hours before serving the flavours are stronger.
Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Optional Swaps
If you’re anything like me, you’re always tempted to do little swaps and customizations on a recipe to make it “your own.” Here are a few ideas to customize this black bean corn feta dip with ingredient swaps and additions:
- Green Onions (Chopped) – The freshness of green onions is a good add on to this dip, and could be a good swap if you don’t have red onions on hand
- Olive oil – if you feel you need a bit more dressing, or something a bit more liquid, you could drizzle some high quality olive oil on the finished salsa!
- Apple Cider Vinegar Vinaigrette – Similar to the olive oil, if you feel you need a bit more dressing, mixing up an apple cider vinegar vinaigrette is a nice option. The apple cider vinegar is super flavorful, and a basic vinaigrette is easy to make! For a basic recipe, mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, and some source of sugar (i.e. maple syrup, honey, or actual sugar). Whisking works, but you’ll get better emulsification if you use a food processor or pulse in the blender!
FAQs
Is this The Same as Cowboy Caviar or Texas Caviar?
While at first glance this looks fairly similar to Cowboy Dip (aka Cowboy Caviar or Texas Caviar), there are a few key differences.
To start with, Cowboy Caviar doesn’t contain my first love: cheese. That’s right, it’s a feta free option which, in my mind, makes it inferior.
Texas Caviar is also typically made with black-eye peas, rather than as a black bean dip. Personally, I love black beans, so again, I prefer this black bean dip version over Cowboy Dip.
Black Bean Corn Feta Dip
This black bean, corn, feta dip is so simple, yet so delicious. Serve it with fresh tortilla chips, and you'll be instantly obsessed! The saltiness of the chips and feta combine with the fresh crispiness of the veggies, the hint of lime, and the heavy weightiness of the bean corn combo to create a perfectly balanced dip, both in taste and texture.
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 fresh limes, juiced
- Small bunch of cilantro (about 2 Tbsps, chopped)
- Tortilla chips (1 bag for serving)
Instructions
- Wash and dry all produce, and drain and rinse black beans and corn
- Dice fresh tomatoes and red onion and add to a large serving bowl
- Add rinsed and drained black beans and corn to serving bowl
- Crumble 1/2 cup feta cheese, and add to serving bowl
- Rough chop cilantro and add to serving bowl
- Mix all the ingredients together, and then juice two limes onto the dip, dressing it with fresh lime juice
- Cover loosely and chill for approximately 2 hours
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 371mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
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