Summer Salads do not get any better than this Charred Corn Salad with Avocado and Chili Lime Cotija Dressing! When we get corn in our CSA box I love to grill up a few ears just for this salad.
The combination of sweet, smoky, and spicy make this salad a great addition to the summer salad rotation. Perfect for large barbecues or for a fast weeknight meal!
Ingredients for the Charred Corn Salad and Chili Lime Cotija Dressing
Summer seasonal vegetables are where it’s at with this easy salad recipe. Here is the list of ingredients we’ll need to make it:
- Corn: A summer staple. We’re charring the corn and cutting the kernels from the cob for our salad.
- Mixed Greens: Depending on what we get in our produce box, I tend to use a mix of red leaf lettuce, spinach, arugula, and romaine.
- Avocado: Adds creamy texture and a healthy fat to our salad.
- Protein of Choice: I’ve enjoyed this salad with grilled chicken, steak, even chili lime marinated shrimp. For a vegetarian option, I love the addition of crispy chickpeas here .
- Dressing Ingredients:
- Cotija: I love this changeup from feta but you can also use feta here if you like.
- Avocado: This adds creaminess to our dressing without added dairy.
- Aromatics: Garlic, scallions, cilantro, chives are added for greens and flavor.
- Jalapeño: I personally love a little heat to this dressing. Since we also use chili lime seasoning you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Good quality olive oil here helps the dressing in its emulsification.
- Lime Juice: Adding some bright acidity to the dressing with fresh lime juice.
- Chili Lime Seasoning: I love the chili lime seasoning for a little heat in the dressing.
- Raw Honey or Maple Syrup: We balance the heat and acidity of this dressing with a little sweetness from raw local honey. You can also use maple syrup or agave syrup if you like.
Quick Prep for this Summer Charred Corn Salad
Prepping this salad is so easy and it’s ready in minutes. First, we grilled up our corn, scallions, and peppers. Grill them on either an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan until the edges are charred. This gives such great flavor to our salad. Set aside vegetables to cool slightly while you work on the dressing.
Next, blend up all the dressing ingredients. This can be done in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender with ingredients in a tall cup or wide mouth jar. Blend ingredients until smooth.
Toss all the salad ingredients together and dress with dressing. Then dive in!
More Summer Salads to Love
Summer salads have a special place in my heart during this time of year. The key to delicious salads are really great dressings. Here are a few that are in constant rotation during this time of year:
Charred Corn Salad with Avocado and Chili Lime Cotija Dressing
Ingredients
Charred Corn Salad
- 3 cups shucked charred corn kernels from approximately 6 ears of corn
- 2 scallions sliced into 1/2 inch diagonal pieces
- 1 jalapeño stemmed, seeded and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2 avocados pit removed and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 large radish sliced into matchsticks
- Protein options: grilled chicken seared steak, or chipotle lime shrimp
Chili Lime Cotija Dressing
- 3 ounces cotija
- 1 avocado pit removed and fleshed scooped out
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 2 scallions ends trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 1/4 chopped chives
- 1 jalapeño stem and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili lime seasoning
- 1 tablespoon honey can also swap for maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high. Brush corn, scallions and jalapeño with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn kernels are browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, and the scallions and jalapeño are charred all over and tender, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
- Using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, blend all the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- In a large bowl, toss mixed greens with half the chili lime Cotija dressing and arrange on a platter. Cut corn kernels off the cob and slice scallions into bite-size pieces. Arrange avocado slices, corn, jalapeño, and scallions on top of the lettuce. Top with radish and chosen protein. Serve with remaining dressing.
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