Corn off the Cob

Sweet corn season is here and we couldn’t be happier! In Iowa, we take our sweet corn very seriously (we do grow the best in the WORLD, after all!). Eating it straight off the cob dripping with butter never gets old, but we are always looking for new ways to make our glorious corn shine bright. This salad is one of those ways. Our elote salad brings all that cheesy, limey goodness of the classic Mexican street food—minus the cob. It’s super simple, and that’s the beauty of it. Here’s how to make it.

Good Corn For the best elote salad, make this salad when your local corn is in season. The tasty sugars in the corn start to convert to not-as-tasty starches as soon as it’s picked, so the less your corn has to travel to get to you, the better. Corn’s peak season will vary depending on your location, but in general think June/July through September. 

The Char A good blackening on the corn is what gives the salad its signature smoky flavor. Do be afraid to see some black charring on those kernels! You can do this on an outdoor or indoor grill, or in a cast iron skillet.

Creamy is Key While it’s not traditional, we love the thick creaminess you get from adding a little Greek yogurt to the dressing along with the mayo. It also lightens it up and adds body, plus a pleasant tang. 

Cojita Cheese This Mexican cow’s milk cheese is crumbly and salty with a creamy, rich flavor. Most larger grocery stores carry it, but you’ll get a much better selection of brands to experiment with by heading to a Mexican market. In a pinch, you can sub in crumbled feta.

Play It Up Feeling ambitious? This simple salad is delicious as is, but here are some easy ways you can have some extra fun with this recipe.
• Stir in some chile. Char a poblano or jalapeño pepper alongside the corn cobs. Let steam under foil or waxed paper 10 minutes, then peel, seed, and finely chop.
• Toss in some greens. Add a handful or two of baby spinach, baby arugula, or torn kale.
• Make it meaty. Add a handful of chopped crisp-cooked bacon or 6 oz. Mexican chorizo, cooked and well-drained.
• Add some surf. Toss in 12 oz. peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup cooked lump crab meat.
• Add beans. Stir in one 15-oz. can black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained.
• Bump up the smokiness. Stir in one canned chipotle pepper, minced, or ½ tsp. smoked paprika.
• Add some onion zing. Stir in ½ cup finely chopped red onion or sweet onion, or a few tablespoons chopped fresh chives.
• Carb it up. Cook ½ cup orzo pasta or other small pasta until tender according to package directions. Rinse until cool and toss into the salad, along with a drizzle of olive oil and extra lime juice to taste.

Easy Elote Salad

Make this salad in the summer, when sweet corn is at its finest. Greek yogurt adds an extra creaminess to it that we adore, but you can omit it and increase mayo to ½ cup if you prefer. Serve as a side dish or as a dip with tortilla chips.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. lime zest + 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt 
• 1 tsp. chili-lime seasoning, such as Tajin, or ½ tsp. chili powder + ½ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup crumbled cotija cheese (3 oz.)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat an outdoor grill, indoor grill, or a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches as needed, grillI corn, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides. Let cool, then cut kernels of cobs.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, cilantro, Greek yogurt, and chili-lime seasoning. Add cooled corn kernels and cojita cheese; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with additional chili-lime seasoning or chili powder.

Keyword elote, elote salad, sweet corn, sweet corn salad