Avocado Corn Salad
This combination is amazing and not just because of the flavors. Adding ripe avocado to the corn salad makes it nice and creamy without having to add any mayo or sour cream at all.
The simple combination of a few ingredients is really what makes this salad great. No need for a long list of ingredients because each addition here gives it a new layer of flavor and texture.
Avocado and corn are both complimented very well by lime, cilantro, onions, and chili powder. I was all ready to add some more spices and veggies but once I tasted this simple corn salad, it didn’t need anything else.
Most of the time, simple truly is the best!
Recipe Tips To Know Before You Cook
To save a little time, corn can be cooked ahead of time! Just cool it after cooking and keep it in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container.
To cut corn kernels off the cob, stand corn up in a large mixing bowl or in a rimmed baking sheet. This will help contain the kernels as you cut the off so they don’t fly all over the counter.
How to tell avocado is ripe: Give the avocado a gentle squeeze – if it’s super soft, it’s over-ripe. Too hard? It’s not quite ripe enough yet. (I have a few more tell tale signs of a ripe avocado in my avocado shrimp salad post and there is a demo video on how to open avocado in stuffed avocado post.)
When mixing in avocado, you can gently mash a few cubes to create the creamy coating for the salad. But leave most of them as diced chunks.
Make Ahead Suggestions For This Corn Salad
I do not recommend making the whole avocado corn salad completely ahead of time, but there are a few things you can do to save time and make it ahead.
- Corn can be cooked ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make a salad.
- You can also prepare most of the salad ahead time. Just do not cut and add avocado until ready to serve. Prepare corn and mix it with onion, scallions, cilantro, and seasoning. Add oil and mix it together. Transfer salad into an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to serve the salad, peel and cut ripe avocados and add it to the prepped salad. Squeeze lime juice all over the avocados and gently mix the salad together until avocado is evenly incorporated.
Variations and Additions To Try
Over the years of making this avocado corn salad, I’ve tried a few things that worked (and some that didn’t, oops) and here is what we liked:
- Fresh diced cucumbers
- Jalapeno peppers
- Green bell peppers
- More spices like cumin and garlic powder
- Black beans (drained and rinsed)
- Cotija cheese (crumbled)
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Avocado Corn Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn
- 5 avocados
- 1 small red onion
- 1/2 cup diced scallions
- 2 limes juice only
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp chili powder
- salt
Instructions
Cooking corn on stove-top:
- Heat up a large pot of water over medium-high heat and season it generously with salt. Make sure to take off the husk and all the silk threads from the ears of corn before cooking.
- Once water starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-low and add corn. Cover the pot and let corn cook for about 10 minutes, until tender.
- Take all the corn out onto a cutting board and let it cool enough to be handled.
Cooking corn on a grill:
- Prepare your charcoal until it’s ashed over. Move it to one half of the grill so that you have a cooler grill side and a hotter grill side. Make sure the grate is clean.
- Snip the silk whiskers sticking out of the top of the corn husk but leave the rest of the corn in a husk. Lay it on the grill, with the bottom of the husk towards the cooler side of the grill. Close the grill and cook for 13-15 minutes, turning it every 3-4 minutes.
- Take corn off the grill and carefully, using tongues, take off the husk and the silk. Brush corn with melted butter and place back on the grill. Close the grill and cook, turning it every 3-4 minutes, until lightly charred on all sides.
- Take corn off the grill and let it cool until it can be handled.
Avocado Corn Salad:
- To cut corn kernels off the cob, stand corn up in a large mixing bowl cut side down. Slice the kernels off with a sharp knife from top to bottom, close to the part where kernels attach to the cob. Turn the ear of corn and repeat slicing the kernels off all the way around.
- Dice red onion and scallions and add it to the pot as well.
- Mince cilantro and mix it in with the corn and onions. Add salt and chili powder.
- Cut each avocado in half and take out the pits. Peel avocado skin off and dice the meat into cubes. Add diced avocado to the mixed veggies in the bowl.
- Squeeze lime juice all over the avocado and add oil. Gently mix in avocado until just evenly incorporated.
- Serve right away.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Summer BBQ Sides To Try
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2019.
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Categories:
Backyard BBQ Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas, Salad Recipes, Side Dishes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Yummy and healthy!
I am so glad you liked it!
I think this salad will be delicious, but does it contain olive oil, or was that a misprint in the ingredients?
Hi Ruth, Yes, it does contain olive oil.
Made this today for a family cook out and it was gone before the grill was hot!! Sooooooooo good! I used frozen corn and sweet onion! Really delicious !
Thanks, Cindy! It makes me so happy that everyone liked it!!!
How do you mince cilantro? Never heard of that?
Hi, Gina! I Fold the bunch of cilantro leaves in half and place them on the cutting board, using a rocking motion with the knife I chop the cilantro. Go back over cilantro again and again until completely minced.
My kids do not eat avocado, I hope to make a salad and then give it to them will result in the eating it. Thanks for this.
Oh yea, you can even mix it a little more, so there are no big avocado chunks in it. That way they may not notice the avocado 🙂