Grilled Corn Salad

When you think of the word salad, you might first picture a bowl filled with leafy greens, or maybe even a pasta salad, but you probably don’t think of corn as the primary ingredient. This grilled corn salad recipe will change that. It’s a tangy, refreshing and exciting blend of ingredients that might just be a revelation in a bowl.

A perfect dish to bring to a summer barbecue or to serve with your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex entrees, this grilled corn salad is easy to make and even easier to enjoy. So gather your ingredients, fire up the grill and get to work making this grilled corn salad recipe.

Grilled Corn Salad Ingredients

• Sweet corn: As portioned out here, this salad will use six medium ears of sweet corn on the cob.
• Olive oil: You’ll need a 1/4 cup of olive oil for the dressing in this corn salad recipe.
• Lime juice: The 3 tablespoons of lime juice should be squeezed from a fresh lime, which you will need anyway for the zest.
• Lime zest: Don’t use more than the recommended 1/2 tablespoon of grated lime zest, as it is a powerful flavoring agent. Be sure to zest the lime before juicing it.
• Cherry tomatoes: You will want 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes.
• Sweet red pepper: Chopped red bell pepper adds color, crunch and flavor to this recipe.
• Cucumber: The chopped cucumber also adds crunch and a pleasant freshness.
• Cilantro: Make sure to take the time to pull the cilantro leaves off of their stems before you chop them.
• Red onion: Don’t use more than the recommended 1/4 cup of red onion, as it can add too much spice for some people’s preferences.
• Green onions: Green onions infuse more color and flavor into the salad.
• Cotija cheese: If you’ve never used Cojita cheese before, chances are good this recipe will be the jumping off point that gets you using it all the time.
• Avocado: Make sure not to prepare the avocado until shortly before you will use it, as it will spoil rapidly once exposed to air.

Directions

Step 1: Grill the corn

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Preheat the grill to 350°F, then grill the corn until it’s lightly charred on all sides, which will take about 20 minutes. Let the corn cool. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs, then discard the cobs.

Step 2: Combine all ingredients

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In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, lime zest, salt, and pepper. Then, stir in the corn, tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, cilantro, red onion, green onion, and cheese. Cover the salad and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve it. Just before serving the salad, fold in the chopped avocado.

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Grilled Corn Salad Variations

• Add some jalapeños: Adding some chopped jalapeno pepper to this salad will spice things up a bit and help accentuate the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Skip the cilantro: If you don’t care for cilantro, leave it out and swap in parsley instead.
• Use different tomatoes: If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, you can use basically any other tomato chopped to the size of a half cherry tomato slice. Don’t let too much of the tomato juice get into the mix, though.

How to Store Grilled Corn Salad

Once the avocado has been mixed into the salad, it won’t keep well, so if you think you’re going to have leftovers, leave them in the refrigerator without adding the avocado. Like this, the salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days. If you’ve added the avocado, the salad will be safe to eat when stored in the fridge, but the avocado will likely be brown and mushy.

Can you freeze this corn salad?

It’s best not to freeze this corn salad. Unfortunately, the salad will be mushy once thawed.

Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado Tips

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What is Cojita cheese?

Cotija is a Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk that’s white, firm and crumbly, with a salty, milky flavor. Fresh cotija is similar to feta, while aged cotija is more like Parmesan cheese. You’ll use fresh Cojita for this dish.

What should I serve with this salad?

This corn salad will pair delightfully with roasted meats, hearty stews, grilled fish and with many other flavorful dishes.

Is this a healthy salad?

It really is! It’s low in calories, low in sodium and modest in it’s fat content.