Barley Free Mediterranean Tomato, Olive & Black Bean Corn Salad
Bright, punchy, and loaded with Mediterranean character, this corn salad is the kind of dish that disappears fast at any table. Juicy halved cherry tomatoes, hearty black beans, sweet corn, and briny Kalamata olives come together in one big bowl, then get tossed in a zesty lemon-oregano dressing with warm hints of cumin and turmeric. That short rest at room temperature is the secret move — it gives the tomatoes a chance to release their juices and lets every ingredient soak up the dressing before you serve. Grains like barley can sneak into store-bought dressings and canned goods, but every component here is naturally grain-free, so there's no label-squinting required. The optional crumbled feta and torn fresh mint on top take it from great to genuinely impressive without any extra effort. It works beautifully as a standalone lunch, a side for grilled proteins, or something to meal-prep at the start of the week since the flavors only get better as it sits.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
- ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- ½ english cucumber, diced
- ¼ red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground turmeric, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn kernels, Kalamata olives, cucumber, red onion, and parsley.
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