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Dairy Free
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Gluten Free
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Nut Free
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Sugar Free
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Vegan
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Vegetarian
Easy Smoky Summer Fresh Corn Salad with Cilantro
The Easy Smoky Summer Fresh Corn Salad with Cilantro is refreshing, light, delicious, and easy to make. It’s made with fresh produce and drizzled with a tangy, tantalizing Cilantro Lime Dressing for a perfect side dish. With its bright flavors, colors, and textures, this summer salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser the next time you have potlucks, pool parties, picnics, and BBQs.
The summer months are when you can find fresh sweet corn and the perfect time to enjoy this Mexican Street Corn Salad. The corn is sweet and goes great with the rest of the ingredients like romaine lettuce that I use all the time. It has a buttery smooth taste that makes a great addition to any salad.
Juicy and fresh tomatoes are also a summer staple that I love to enjoy fresh with a pinch of salt or add to breakfast dishes and salads. A little kick from the smoked paprika brings out the delicious flavor of the dish.
This salad comes together with a cilantro vinaigrette which is the best way to enjoy its freshness and balance the sweetness of the corn. It’s one of my favorite salads to make and if it’s your first time preparing it, you’re in for a treat!
Why you’ll find the Smoky Summer Fresh Corn Salad with Cilantro irresistible?
- Simple Ingredients: All the ingredients can easily be found at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market.
- It’s versatile: You can serve it as a great side dish, appetizer, or topping for tacos or burritos or dip for tortilla chips or Frito scoop
- Best summer side dish: It’s light and refreshing and will cool you down in the summer months.
- It’s healthy: The salad has fresh veggies which are good for you but also taste great!
Key Ingredients for the Fresh Corn Salad Recipe
- Sweet Fresh corn: This is the key ingredient in the recipe. You can use yellow corn or white corn.
- Romaine lettuce: This hearty salad green is nutritious and adds a crunch to the recipe.
- Fresh Cherry tomatoes: Slightly sweet and plenty juicy, these little tomatoes are one of my favorite things to use in summer salads.
- Red Bell pepper: It’s full of flavor and adds a vibrant color and crunch to the salad.
- Green onion: Their mild onion flavor adds a subtle kick without overpowering the other ingredients in the salad.
- Red onion: They have a bright color which adds to the salad appeal.
Key Ingredients for the cilantro lime dressing
- Avocado oil: A great healthy oil to use. Olive oil works too.
- Fresh lime juice: Juice a large lime or 2 small to add bright flavors to the salad.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adding vinegar compliments the honey and garlic well.
- Honey: For sweetness.
- Cloves garlic: For the aroma and boost of flavor
- Smoked paprika: Adds that little kick and depth of smoky flavor.
- Salt: To taste.
- Fresh cilantro leaves: The central ingredient in making the bright and flavorful cilantro dressing for corn salad. If you don’t like cilantro, you can replace it with parsley.
The lime and cider vinegar balances the sweetness of the corn and the spiciness of the jalapeno for a perfectly balanced dressing.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
How to Make a Smokey Summer Corn Salad Recipe
Step 1: Prep all salad ingredients
Remove corn kernels from the cob, chop the romaine lettuce, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, slice the red pepper, green onions, and red onions, then set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the dressing
Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well until combined. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
Step 3: Toss salad
Place all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl then toss the salad well making sure to mix everything evenly.
Step 4: Add dressing
Pour the desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss again to coat.
Step 5: Adjust, finish off and serve!
Taste and add a sprinkle of salt, more lime, or some pepper if desired. Place in a serving bowl and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- You can add other spices and seasonings such as chili powder, black pepper, or cumin if you prefer. Other fruits and vegetables such as mangos, cucumber, avocado, green or yellow bell peppers can also be added. Another great idea is to add black beans, chickpeas, or edamame to the salad.
- After mixing the salad, you can let it chill for about an hour to allow the flavor of the cilantro vinaigrette to fully infuse the veggies.
- Make a meal out of the salad by adding chopped steak, rotisserie shredded chicken or crispy bacon.
How to store leftover Mexican corn salad
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing is not recommended because of the fresh ingredients used.
Recipe FAQs
You absolutely can make it 24 hours ahead of time and store it in the fridge! Prep all the salad ingredients by removing corn kernels from the corn, chop romaine lettuce, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and slicing the red pepper and onion, but hold off on tossing the dressing with the salad until you are ready to serve.
You can have this with any main dish like oven-baked chicken, salmon, or steak. Enjoy it as an appetizer or topping in tacos or burritos. You can also have it as a dip for tortilla chips.
Sweet summer corn contains vitamin B, zinc, copper, and magnesium.
Yes, for sure! You can use fresh, canned, or frozen corn but you will get different results from each one. Fresh corn is best and it’s easily available in summer at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market.
Frozen corn can be found all year round. Just thaw it overnight and drain well before adding to the salad. Canned corn will need to be rinsed and drained first.
Lay the corn down on the cutting board. Slice off a strip of kernels lengthwise with a sharp knife, rotate so the flat side is against the cutting board, and repeat as necessary.
More corn recipes to enjoy
- The Quick Cabbage Side Salad with Corn and Peas is bright, crunchy, nutritious and the perfect side to any main dish.
- This 20 Minute Grilled Zucchini Salad with Corn and Cheese is bursting with fresh flavor, benefits, and summer veggies
- The Cold Crab Salad with Sweet Corn and Black Olives is fresh, beautiful, and tastes so good.
Tasty Corn Salads to make this week
If you tried this Easy Smoky Summer Fresh Corn Salad with Cilantro or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Easy Smoky Summer Fresh Corn Salad with Cilantro
Equipment
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salad bowl
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whisk
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh corn, kernels, 3 ears of corn
- 6-7 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 medium red pepper, sliced thin
- 1 green onion, sliced thin
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
Dressing
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 large lime, or 2 small, juiced
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
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Prep all salad ingredients: Remove corn kernels from corn, chop the romaine lettuce, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, slice the red pepper, green onions, and red onions, then set aside.3 cups fresh corn,, 6-7 cups romaine lettuce,, 1 cup cherry tomatoes,, 1 medium red pepper,, 1 green onion,, ¼ cup red onion,
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Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well until combined.¼ cup avocado oil, 1 large lime,, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp honey, 2 cloves garlic,, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ¾ tsp salt, ½ cup cilantro leaves,
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Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Toss salad well making sure to mix everything evenly.
- Add all dressing to salad and toss again to coat.
- Taste and add a sprinkle of salt, more lime, or some pepper if desired.
Notes
- Best to use fresh corn, but organic canned corn will work too.