Mexican Corn Salad
This Mexican Corn Salad is a vibrant, fresh, bright, and crowd-pleasing side dish! Inspired by the popular street food esquites, this salad is bursting with bold flavors from charred sweet corn, creamy sour cream and vegan mayo, tangy lime, and just the right kick of chili.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Charred Corn
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 4 cups corn cut from the cob (~ 4 medium ears)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin
For the Salad
- Charred corn
- 1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeños (I used pickled jalapeños)
For Garnish (Optional)
- Cotija or Feta cheese
Instructions
Cut off the Corn Kernels
- To cut the corn from the cob without making a mess, set a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl.
- Place your corn vertically on top of the smaller bowl and run your knife straight down the sides of the cob. The kernels will fall right into the larger bowl.
Charring the Corn
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Evenly spread the corn over the bottom of the pan and let the corn sit undisturbed to char for 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, stir, and char for another 2 minutes. Continue cooking and stirring in this manner for 7-8 minutes, until you achieve golden brown bits and the corn is cooked.
- Transfer the corn to a mixing bowl and set it aside.
Making the Dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, vegan mayo, lime juice, paprika, and ground cumin.
Making the Salad
- To the bowl with corn, add bell peppers, cilantro, and jalapeños. Add the dressing and toss to mix well.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lime juice if needed. Top the salad with cheese, paprika, and cumin and serve.
Storing Suggestions
- This Mexican Corn Salad is best enjoyed on the same day it is made. However, leftovers can be refrigerated for two days.
Notes
- Corn: Fresh corn provides the best texture and taste. But you can also use frozen corn, and the salad will still be delicious.
- Paprika: You can skip paprika if you want. Or, use red chili powder for some color and spiciness.
- Cheese: Traditionally, Mexican cojita cheese is used for this salad. But I don't find this cheese, and I use crumbled Feta cheese. Sometimes, I also use crumbled paneer or ricotta.
- Make It Vegan: Use vegan butter or oil and vegan sour cream or yogurt to make vegan Mexican Street Corn Salad. You can skip cheese or garnish with any vegan cheese substitute.
- Variations: You can add finely chopped celery or cucumber to the salad. Use any other fresh green chili instead of jalapeños. If you do not prefer cilantro, swap it for parsley. You can also add finely chopped baby spinach.
- Dressing: This salad is not heavily coated with dressing. But you can add more or less dressing to your taste preferences.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 291kcalCarbohydrates : 36gProtein : 6gFat : 16gSaturated Fat : 4gPolyunsaturated Fat : 1gMonounsaturated Fat : 2gTrans Fat : 0.1gCholesterol : 13mgSodium : 409mgPotassium : 446mgFiber : 4gSugar : 8gVitamin A : 1729IUVitamin C : 47mgCalcium : 30mgIron : 1mg
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