Avocado Corn Salad

This is one of those dishes you’ll make over and over again, changing it up to suit your tastes and what’s in the fridge. (No fresh corn? No red onion? No problem!). It’s equally delightful served with chicken enchiladas as it is for a Wednesday lunch with added protein.

Whisk together tart lime juice and aromatic lime zest with olive oil and garlic for a tangy dressing that adds zip to crunchy vegetables and balances the sweet corn. Just before serving, stir in creamy chunks of avocado.

Ingredients for Avocado Corn Salad

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• Sweet corn: When it’s the height of summer, and corn is at its sweetest, it’s worth the trouble of husking and cooking fresh corn.
• Olive oil: Olive oil serves as the base of the vinaigrette.
• Lime juice and lime zest: Fresh lime juice is bright while lime zest adds an aromatic citrus note.
• Garlic cloves: Minced fresh garlic is savory and distinctive. (Substitute minced shallot if raw garlic isn’t your thing.)
• Cherry tomatoes and sweet red peppers: Cut plump cherry tomatoes in half and chop up a sweet red pepper for vivid color, sweetness and crunch.
• Red onion and green onions: Use two types of onion for more color and layers of allium flavor.
• Jalapeno pepper: Chopped jalapeno peppers add some heat. Removing the seeds tames them a bit.
• Fresh basil, cilantro and chives: Fresh herbs make this salad vibrant and full-flavored.
• Avocados: Chunked avocado makes this salad filling and adds a contrasting creamy texture.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the sweet corn

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Fill a large stock pot half full with water and bring to a boil. Add shucked corn, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool, then use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob. Toss the cobs or use them to make a tasty corn broth for your favorite corn soup.

Step 2: Whisk the vinaigrette, combine the ingredients

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Save washing a dish by making the vinaigrette right in the serving bowl. Whisk up oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and seasonings. Stir in corn kernels, tomatoes, peppers, red and green onions, jalapenos and herbs. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before enjoying, fold in avocado chunks.

Editor’s Tip: If the you think the taste of raw garlic is too strong, mix it with the lime juice first and let it sit a few minutes before whisking the rest of the ingredients together, it will help mellow it.

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Avocado Corn Salad Variations

• Add volume with lettuce: Make this salad go further, and add even more vegetables, by tossing it with lettuce just before serving. Any baby greens will do, but tiny-leaved, tender mâche (also known as corn lettuce) is diminutive, but holds up well to dressing.
• Make it crunchy: Top the salad with a delightfully crunchy, crispy topping like toasted corn (corn nuts) or pepitas.
• Top with protein: Make this salad a complete meal by adding protein, like chilled shrimp, grilled chicken or drained, rinsed black beans.
• Spice it up: The jalapenos add some heat, but if you love spicy foods, add 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to the dressing.

How to Store Avocado Corn Salad

Cover and store avocado corn salad in the refrigerator for four to five days.

Can you make avocado corn salad ahead of time?

This salad is a good candidate for making ahead, as long as you wait until serving to cut and add the avocado (which turns brown if added too early). The dressing flavors blend better and soften the raw veggies just a touch as it chills out in the fridge.

Avocado Corn Salad Tips

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Can you use frozen or canned corn for the salad?

If you love this bright salad but it’s the middle of winter, make it anyway! Just swap out the corn on the cob for frozen corn. Thaw corn and drain well before adding to the salad, but no need to cook it. Canned corn is another option, although the flavor is a little duller than frozen. Be sure to drain it well.

How do you zest a lime?

There are multiple ways to zest citrus, but the simplest is to use a microplane or the small, sharp holes on a box grater. The most important part is to make sure you only include the green part of the peel. The white pith just beneath the skin is bitter.

What are some tips for ripening an avocado?

Picking the perfect avocado starts at the store. If you’re making the salad in the next one to two days, choose an avocado that’s just right. Gently press on the skinny end—there should be a little bit of give, indicating that the fruit is ripe and ready to eat. Harder avocados can take four to seven days to ripen on the countertop, although you can try one of these tips to speed up the ripening process.