Corn and Avocado Salad
This corn and avocado salad is a refreshing and flavorful dish perfect for summer gatherings. This vibrant salad combines fresh sweet corn, creamy avocado, cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, cucumbers and red onion (and a few more tasty ingredients), all tied together with a zesty lime dressing! It makes a perfect side dish, a great topping for tacos or even burgers and even a great appetizer - we love it with tortilla chips!
Corn and Avocado Salad Recipe Ingredients
- CORN: Fresh sweet corn works best here. Husks and silk removed. If you can’t get any fresh corn you could use canned. For this fresh corn salad we usually do not grill the corn but of course grilling it or even charring it on a hot skillet will add nice smoky flavor - so feel free to do that if you wish. More details about cooking and preparing corn in recipe notes below. Can you use canned corn? In a pinch you absolutely can. Use 2 cans (15 0z) drained.
- TOMATOES: Tomatoes are a fresh addition to this salad. I usually use cherry tomatoes but grape tomatoes work or whatever tomatoes you have just make sure they are cut into bite size pieces
- AVOCADO: Look for ripe, but firm avocados. If the avocado is too soft it will get mushy when you toss everything together
- CUCUMBER: English cucumbers or the Persian baby varieties are great in this salad. Feel free to scoop out the seeds if you prefer that and also to peel the skins. The most important thing is to choose nice and firm ones that will be nice and crisp.
- GREEN ONION, RED ONION & GARLIC: I love the fresh flavor the green onions add plus the red onions. But if you prefer one over the other feel free to omit the other. The garlic is used in the dressing.
- JALAPENO PEPPER: I love the flavour it adds to the salad and that bit crunch and of heat. Make sure to remove seeds for less heat.
- FRESH HERBS: Use Fresh herbs of your choice. I like to use a blend of fresh mint and basil. Swap out the mint for parsley or cilantro, or add fresh chives, or dill or whatever blend of herbs you like.
- FETA CHEESE: You guys know I love feta but if you don’t you could easily use diced mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese - they would all work well here.
- OLIVE OIL: I use extra virgin olive oil for the vinaigrette.
- LIME JUICE & LIME ZEST: Freshly zested and freshly squeezed for best flavor. Feel free to swap with lemon if preferred.
- DIJON MUSTARD: It adds flavor to the dressing - I like dijon mustard but honey mustard or yellow mustard can be used as well.
- HONEY: I like to add a touch of honey to the dressing to balance out the flavors. Maple syrup or a little sugar works too.
- PUMPKIN SEEDS: I am obsessed with roasted salty crunchy pumpkin seeds. I add them to everything. If you are not a fan feel free to swap them out with any other crunchy chopped/sliced nuts or seeds you like or skip altogether.
- VARIATIONS: Add a can of chickpeas for a heartier salad or even chopped grilled chicken or grilled shrimp for added protein. Toss the salad it over a bed of arugula or any salad greens. Switch up the herbs with cilantro and parsley. For a Mexican or TexMex version you can switch things up with some Tex Mex or taco seasoning in the dressing and use cilantro, and cotija instead of feta cheese.
How to Make Avocado Corn Salad
- PREPARE DRESSING: In a medium bowl, prepare the simple salad dressing. Whisk together all the ingredients and set aside.
- COMBINE SALAD INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl combine corn, tomatoes, diced cucumber, jalapeño, fresh herbs, green onions, red onions, and feta.
- TOSS WITH DRESSING: Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss to combine then stir in avocados gently. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve right away or chill and serve after 30 mins.
How to meal prep this salad?
You can absolutely make this salad ahead up to 1 day in advance making it a great meal prep for summer parties/BBQs or as part of your weekday meals. See details below.
Salad Make Ahead & Storage Tips
- STORAGE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight glass or plastic container for up to 1-3 days. The veggies will get softer and the flavors will still be delicious.
- MAKE AHEAD: You can make this salad up to 1 day ahead, but I don’t recommend putting it together or tossing it with the dressing until just before serving. Refrigerate sliced and chopped veggies (except for the avocado) in a covered bowl or airtight container and the dressing separately in a jar. When ready to serve, add the avocado, and toss with dressing to combine. The dressing can be made and stored in the fridge in a jar up to 1 week in advance.
Serve This Corn and Avocado Salad With:
- This salad would be a great side or even a topping for my Grilled Shrimp Tacos
- Serve it up with my Grilled Chicken Thighs
- It goes super well with my Rotisserie Style Baked Chicken
- Delicious with my Sheet Pan Quesadillas or anything Mexican or Tex Mex
- It also great served as sort of a salsa or dip with tortilla chips
Recipe
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 corn on the cob, shucked, silks removed and corn kernels sliced off cob
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- ½ an English cucumber, diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 jalapeno, seeds and stem removed and diced
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs ( I use a combination of mint and basil)
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional for extra zing)
- Zest of 1 lime
- Juice of two limes (approx 2-3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (just a touch to balance the acidity)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients or add them all to a mason jar, seal with lid and shake until well combined
- In a large salad bowl add the corn kernels, tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeño, green onion , red onions, herbs and feta. Drizzle over the dressing and toss well to coat.
- Add the avocados and gently stir them into the salad.
- Sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and serve right away or cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 mins for flavors to really come together. Then serve and enjoy. (Any longer and you might want to keep the avocado out of the mix until just before serving)
Recipe Notes
- This is a fresh corn salad - meaning you are eating the corn raw. I know that doesn’t totally sit well with everyone so here are a few options for those of you who would like to cook the corn before adding it to the salad: Cook whole shucked corn in a heated skillet or on the grill until charred all around. Or remove the kernels off the cob first and cook the corn kernels in a skillet until nice and toasted. Alternatively, you can microwave it. Place the corn in the microwave, do not remove the husk. Microwave the corn on the high setting for 4 minutes. Cut off the bottom of the corn, stem end, about one row of corn in from the stem. Slip off the husk and silk and use as directed in the recipe. You could also boil the corn. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3-5 minutes. You are not cooking it all the way through; just blanching it to remove some of the natural starch. Transfer the corn into the ice bath to stop the cooking and to keep the color bright yellow. Once cool, remove to a cutting board and pat dry and slice the corn off the cob and add to salad.
- How to slice corn off the cob: Place shucked corn on cutting board. Using a large knife, slice off one side of the corn while it’s still on the board. Use the tip of the knife for guidance. Roll the cob over (flat side should be facing down now) and slice off the next side. Repeat until you’ve cut all all sides.
