Grilled Corn Salad with seasonal sweet corn and farm-fresh vegetables in a delicious honey-lime dressing.
We've been grilling a lot of corn this summer for dinner. Just tossing the ears of corn on the grill, not even shucking them first. Meathead cooks them until they are charred and almost black all over. The husks and silks come right off.
So easy and definitely a grilled taste to it, unlike boiled corn. Anyhoo, I was at the farm stand and decided to make a grilled corn salad with all the fresh vegetables I bought that day. It did not disappoint.
I picked up corn, jalapeños, mixed cherry tomatoes, cucumber, purple bunching onions and cilantro. Grill ~ chop, chop ~ make a dressing ~ toss it all together. Done. So easy and so good. Really, really fresh tasting. I chose a honey-lime vinaigrette and it was perfect.
So let's talk heat factor. I love spicy, both in terms of flavor and heat. My family isn't as tolerant as I am when it comes to heat. Frankly, I don't find jalapeños to be very spicy. So I just finely chopped it whole after I charred them on the grill. Contrary to popular belief, I read somewhere that the heat is not in the seeds but in the membranes.
Well, turns out I got pretty darn hot jalapeños from the market! Maybe they were another kind, not sure, but this salad definitely had a kick. I loved it ~ Picky Eater, not so much. Even Meathead thought it was too spicy but very good otherwise. Keep this is mind if you make this salad, and adjust or cut back to your liking.
Feel free to adjust the ingredients based on what's available at the farmers market. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, radishes ~ see what looks best. Avocado would be good, too. So would a little crumbled feta cheese. This is how I make a grilled corn salad ~ it's delicious and tastes like summer in a bowl. Happy Summer! Kelly🍴🐦
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Grilled Corn Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 ears of corn, un-shucked
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- ½ pint of mixed cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ cucumber, seeded, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 - 3 purple or white bunching onions, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- handful cilantro, roughly chopped
- Kosher or sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped I used a microplane
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped grilled jalapeño can use less, can use canned for less heat or omit
Instructions
- Heat grill until very hot, add corn and jalapeños, turn frequently until charred on all sides. Corn will take about 20 minutes, jalapeños take much less time, watch carefully. Remove from grill and let cool slightly.
- Shuck corn and cut off the kernels into a large bowl. Finely chop one grilled jalapeño and add to the bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to combine well.
- In a jar with a tight fitting lid, place all the ingredients for the dressing. Screw on lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Pour about half the dressing over the salad, toss to combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings and add more dressing if needed. Serve immediately, at room temperature. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
*Honey lime vinaigrette adapted from Self, July 2003