White Bean Salsa

5 from 2 votes

This White Bean Salsa with creamy avocado, corn, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, and basil is my latest obsession! It’s perfect with grilled chicken, quinoa, or tortilla chips for a fresh, vegetarian bite!

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

Total Time32

Course: Appetizer, Vegetarian

Cuisine: American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: white bean salsa

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $7.12

Equipment

Grill or stovetop, see note 1

Ingredients

2 ears fresh sweet corn see note 1 for alternatives
Salt and pepper
1 large lemon
1 (15.5-ounce) can white beans drained and rinsed; I usually use cannellini beans
1 large avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, using 2 teaspoons oil from the jar, see note 2
2 tablespoons fresh basil julienned
pesto couscous or tortilla chips, optional, see step 3 below

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat grill to 450℉. Shuck corn and discard silk. Drizzle corn with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt/pepper into all sides of the corn. Add corn to the heated and oiled grill over direct heat. Grill corn about 10–12 minutes, rotating every 3–4 minutes until bright in color and lightly charred. Let grilled corn cool before cutting it off the cob. Let fully cool before adding to salsa.
Juice lemon to get 3 tablespoons juice. In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice with drained and rinsed beans, prepared/cooled corn, diced avocado, julienned sun-dried tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of the oil from the tomatoes, chopped basil, and salt and pepper to taste. (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference.) Gently stir to combine and serve immediately with one of the serving options listed below or straight out of the bowl!
Serving Options:
With tortilla chips: Perfect for scooping up every delicious bite!
Over pesto couscous: Cook 1 cup small couscous and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1/4 cup basil pesto. Generously spoon salsa on top for a tasty vegetarian meal!
Alongside grilled chicken: Pairs beautifully with chicken marinade.
Inside an avocado: Scoop out an avocado (dice the removed avocado for the salsa) and serve the White Bean Salsa inside. Add extra lemon juice and a drizzle of sun-dried tomato oil!

Notes

Note 1: See Step 1 for how to grill corn on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. You will need some additional oil, salt, and pepper. If you aren’t using whole corn on the cob, I recommend one of the following preparation methods: buy pre-roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store) and use one can, well-drained. Or buy regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop. More details on how to do that here. The last option is to use frozen corn. Char it in a pan until thawed and lightly roasted.

Note 2: This salsa calls for sun-dried julienne-cut tomatoes with herbs. The herbs in the tomatoes add lots of flavor (so we don’t need additional ingredients) and the julienne-cut tomatoes save chopping time.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep components like avocado separate to prevent browning, and add just before serving.

Nutrition