Avocado Corn Salad is delightfully refreshing and alive with flavor and textures! This distinctive salad is summer in a bowl! Fresh corn unites with creamy avocado and tangy lime and lemon juices to form the perfect summer indulgence!
The first time I made this recipe was for a potluck barbeque at a friend’s house. At first, I was disappointed at being asked to bring a salad. Don’t get me wrong; I love salad! But I was hoping for something a tad more challenging and, dare I say, exciting.
So, I decided to create a unique (if slightly unconventional) salad sure to wow the guests! It turned out to be a real showstopper, and it was one of the first dishes to disappear from the table! And not only is it super simple to make, but it’s also unbelievably versatile!
Why Fall in Love With This Avocado Corn Salad
The reasons are endless! To start with, it’s fresh and healthy and rich in fiber and vitamin C. The ingredients are accessible, and prep time is minimal. But what I like most about this dish is its versatility. Throw in some chicken or fish, and it turns into a main dish. Stuff it into taco shells with some grilled tofu for a vegetarian meal. Or serve it with tortilla chips, and it becomes a mouthwatering appetizer!
Recipe Ingredients
- Corn – Fresh corn on the cob is one of my favorite summer veggies! The corn can be boiled or grilled for this recipe. You can even use a bag of frozen corn, and I won’t tell. 🤫
- Cucumber – High in nutrients and antioxidants, cucumbers are a great addition to any salad!
- Tomatoes – I love cherry tomatoes, both for their size and taste. But grape tomatoes or Roma tomatoes also work well.
- Avocado – This can be sliced or diced, and it adds creaminess and color to the salad!
- Onion – I find red onion provides a unique flavor, but feel free to use chives or green onions instead.
- Cilantro – Choose cilantro with bright, crisp green leaves to get the best flavor. Bonus: Any leftover cilantro can be used as garnish!
- Dressing – This marvelous dressing contains lemon juice, lime juice, honey, ground mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic. It’s a mind-blowing mixture of sweet, smooth, and tangy.
How to Make Avocado Corn Salad
Cook the Corn
- Prepare the Corn – If using fresh corn, choose your cooking method – boiled or grilled. Use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels from the cob, using a large bowl to catch the kernels.
- Assemble the Salad – Add the rest of the vegetables to the bowl with the corn. Lightly season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Prepare the Dressing
- Make the Dressing – Combine the lemon juice, lime juice, honey, ground mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic in a medium bowl or jar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust the ingredients to taste, adding more honey if it’s too tart or more lemon juice if it’s too sweet. Whisk or shake in a jar until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Stir it Together – Pour the dressing over the salad, mix gently, and serve.
Recipe Variations
- If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can substitute it with parsley.
- Add a pinch of red chili flakes if you want an extra zing to your salad!
- Chickpeas are a delicious option for a plant-based protein.
- Add fresh herbs such as basil or chives for more fresh, summery vibes.
Tips and Tricks
- Grilling the corn adds a unique smokey flavor to this recipe. And it’s so easy! Just wrap the cobs in foil and grill them over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Oven-roasted corn also works well if you don’t feel like firing up the barbeque. Wrap it in foil and bake at 425℉/218℃ for 20-25 minutes.
- If you prefer boiled corn (the quickest method!), place the shucked corn in a pot of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Avocados are a delicate fruit and get mushy if stirred too much. Stir your salad as gently as possible to keep the avocado slices intact. Or, if your avocado is very ripe, mix your salad first, then add the avocado right at the end, giving it a gentle stir.
Make-Ahead Instructions
This avocado corn salad only takes about 20 minutes to throw together if you have your corn cooked ahead of time. I’ll often cook the corn and cut it off the cob the day before, storing it in the fridge until I’m ready to assemble my salad. I like to leave some of the kernels together to add more texture to the salad!
Once the salad is together, leave it in the fridge for at least one hour to let the flavors meld nicely. Or, for a more robust flavor, you can prepare the salad up to four hours ahead of time and refrigerate it.
Serving and Storage Instructions
This salad can be served either at room temperature or slightly chilled. Once assembled, you can store it in the fridge until serving.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t freeze well. Your tomatoes and cucumbers will turn to mush. If you plan on eating it later, you should be able to keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days. However, you can freeze the cooked corn by itself for a future salad!
FAQs
Yes! The taste will be slightly different, but canned or frozen corn will work for this salad. Frozen corn comes closest in taste to fresh corn.
The easiest way is to stand the corn on a cutting board or dishtowel. Slice a strip of the kernels downward using a sharp knife (be careful with those fingers!). From there, it’s easy to transfer the kernels into a bowl.
There isn’t much you can do to prevent the browning process, but you can slow it down. Choose avocados that are just ripe, not too soft, to help them keep their green color longer. Dressing the salad immediately will also help since the lime and lemon juices help delay browning.
What to Serve With Avocado Corn Salad
This salad goes perfectly with all things grilled! It would pair beautifully with baby back ribs or grilled salmon. I recommend spicy grilled New York steak or Southern fried chicken for other meat options.
More Scrumptious Salad Recipes to Try
Looking forward to summer? Here are some more salads with summer vibes!
Conclusion
Who said salads are boring? With its crunchy yet creamy texture and tangy flavors, this guy is anything but boring! So go ahead, sign up for salad at your next potluck! I’ve got you covered! Leave me a comment and let me know how it goes at your next barbeque!
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in May 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Avocado Corn Salad
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Ingredients
Avocado Corn Salad
- 1-1½ cup corn, grilled or boiled (about two medium ears)
- ½ medium cucumber, sliced in half-moon shapes
- 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves (or regular size tomatoes, chopped)
- 1 large avocado, pitted and diced
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
The Dressing
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Choose your cooking method and boil or grill the corn if using fresh corn.
- Then use a sharp knife to remove corn kernels from the corn, and add them to a large bowl with all the other ingredients.
- Lightly season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Add lemon juice, white vinegar, honey, mustard, oil, and salt in a medium bowl or jar. Whisk or shake the jar until all the ingredients have been thoroughly combined.
- Adjust ingredients to suit taste buds – if it is too tart, add more honey – too sweet, add more lemon juice or vinegar. If you like it spicier, add more mustard.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix, then serve. Or store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips & Notes:
- Grilling the corn adds a unique smokey flavor to this recipe. And it’s so easy! Just wrap the cobs in foil and grill them over medium/high heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Oven-roasted corn also works well if you don’t feel like firing up the barbeque. Wrap it in foil and bake at 425oF for 20-25 minutes.
- If you prefer boiled corn (the quickest method!), place the shucked corn in a pot of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Avocados are a delicate fruit and get mushy if stirred too much. Stir your salad as gently as possible to keep the avocado slices intact. Or, if your avocado is very ripe, mix your salad first, then add the avocado right at the end, giving it a gentle stir.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Karen says
Very tasty salad! Two questions – what is the unit of measure for the 1/4 fetta, and do we use 2 tbsp of lime or 1 tbsp of lemon or both? I made assumptions when I prepared this salad.
ImmaculateBites says
My bad! It’s a 1/4 cup . It’s 2 tablespoon lemon or lime juice . Recipe updated