Green Salads

Charred Sweet Corn Salad

This is what to make the week corn is cheap and stacked in every market bin. The kernels go straight into a dry, screaming-hot pan until they blister and pop — that char is the whole point, turning sweet corn smoky and giving the salad a backbone that raw kernels never have. Cherry tomatoes, sharp red onion and salty cotija fill in around it, and a lime-chili dressing pulls everything tight. It works hot off the pan as a side for anything grilled, and just as well cold from the fridge the next day.

Charred Sweet Corn Salad
10 minPrep time
10 minCook time
20 minTotal time
4Servings
240Kcal / serving

Ingredients

  • 4 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off (or 500g frozen, thawed and patted dry)
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 60g cotija or feta, crumbled
  • Large handful cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder, plus more to finish
  • Salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Char the corn

    Get a large skillet ripping hot over high heat. Add the oil, then the corn in a single layer. Leave it alone for 2 minutes so it blisters, then toss and repeat until you have real dark spots — about 8 minutes total. Tip onto a plate to cool.

  2. Mix the dressing

    Whisk the lime juice, mayonnaise, chili powder and a good pinch of salt in the bottom of a large bowl until smooth.

  3. Combine

    Add the cooled corn, tomatoes, red onion and jalapeño to the bowl. Toss to coat everything in the dressing.

  4. Finish

    Fold through most of the cilantro and cotija, then scatter the rest on top with an extra dusting of chili powder. Taste for salt and serve.

Serve it next to our Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Salad for a full summer plate, or lean into the tomatoes with a Heirloom Tomato & Basil Salad. For the dressing logic behind it, read Homemade Dressing Ratios.

The EasySaladBowl secretDo not skip drying frozen corn. Wet kernels steam instead of char, and you end up with sweet mush rather than the smoky bite that makes this salad work.

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