I am at the end of my summer visit with my family on Long Island and I am starting to pout. “I don’t wanna go home!” Believe me, home, which is Manhattan Beach, California, is not so shabby. But it’s not getting out of bed at 7:30 am (instead of 5:30.) It’s not wine at lunch AND dinner. It’s not lingering at the table outside without a sweater for hours. It’s not falling asleep to crickets at night.
I love summer and I love it more on the East Coast. It’s the way I think we should all be living regularly – present, in the moment, grateful for what we have. I associate summer produce with this emotion, too. Strange, but true. When I think of tomatoes and corn, I always think summer. And therefore I think of freedom and happiness and relaxation and good times. That’s what comes to mind when I see real, seasonal, local tomatoes and corn. They make me HAPPY! When summer rolls around, I am jumping for joy every week when I come back from the farmers market. “Guess whaaaaat, kids?! Corn is baaaack!” They are a little over it.
What I know for sure is that this corn salad is a winner. It’s simple and nutritious and darn delicious and it screams “Hey there, summer!” You can do most of it ahead of time which is the way I like to operate. I personally love corn with a little char on it. It’s a bit smoky and goes really well with the touch of smoked paprika or ground chipotle in the recipe. But, if you are lucky enough to get just picked (as in, a few minutes ago) corn, go ahead and cut it raw. Such a treat! I know corn is controversial because most of it is genetically modified, but if you can find certified non-GMO or organic, I say go for it! Add a little protein, like a veggie burger or some grilled shrimp and you have the perfect summer meal. Hope you have a safe and fun July 4th!
Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, husked
- 2 green onions, sliced (thinly sliced red onion can be substituted)
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 2 ½ Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill the corn directly on the grill, turning frequently, until the corn has nice char marks on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients to corn. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if necessary and more lime juice, if desired.
Notes
The salad can be assembled 1 hour ahead of time and kept at room temperature.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Thanks so much for another amazing recipe, Pamela! I made this for a 4th of July BBQ, and it was easy to make, delicious and well-received.
One of my favorite summer salads ever! Thanks for your feedback!
Could I use the Trader Joe’s frozen charred corn in this recipe? If so, would you defrost, heat it in a pan, and then let it cool and add other ingredients? Thanks!
It’s going to be soggier than fresh, grilled corn. If you’re in a pinch, yes, but it’s not quite as good. Just defrost, pat dry to remove excess moisture and add to the other ingredients. Do not heat.
I know I have already told you how fantastic this salad is but I just had to mention that it has become my family’s FAVORITE! I made it a couple of weeks ago at my mom’s house. She only had a tiny piece of avocado and it was super ripe. I mixed it in and it kind of melted into the salad and coated the corn. We still got the avocado taste and it was great. My sister is requesting it this Sunday for her birthday dinner so I will be making it again. It’s so easy which is what I really love about it. Thank you!
Simple salads like this are my go-tos in the summer. So glad you and your family love it as much as I do!
I made this on 4th of July and it was fantastic! It was my mother-in-laws birthday and I made her a mostly Pamela menu (just the chicken was not yours 🙂 She really loved this salad as well as my husband. It was so easy to put together. We are going to a party next weekend where I have to bring a salad and I am making this one. Thank you!
I am sooooo flattered! Thank you!
It was fantastic! Everybody loved and it was super easy. I doubled the avocado cause my family loves them and it was great!
It’s never a bad idea to double avocado!
Looks beautiful and delicious! Will definitely find some more fresh corn while it’s in season.
I’m not a hot sauce or chili powder fan…Any other suggested substitutions
tried smoked paprika — not hot or spicy, just smoky!