Summer has to be my favorite food scene for all the fresh produce. Nothing beats summer tomatoes, squash and corn! I love using all the fresh produce I can in summer salads. One of my favorite ones being this Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with Chipotle Dressing! If you are fan of Mexican flavors, you will love this salad!

Key Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Kale – This is almost always my choice of green because I am a kale girly. But if you don’t like kale I recomend using romaine.
  • Corn on the Cob – For this recipe I use on the cob so we can grill it and get a char. However, you can also just use canned corn and drain it out.
  • Cojita Cheese – What is a Mexican salad without cojita? I like to buy it already crumbled up. You can also use shredded jack cheese here.
  • Red Onion – Make sure to dice these small so they don’t overpower the palette. You can also use pickled red onions in place of raw onions here.
  • Avocado – You can omit if you aren’t an avocado fan!
  • Chips – My hack in life is using chips in salad for a crunch. Crumble up any of your favorite corn tortilla chips and trust me you will love it.
@kellyscleankitchen

How to make a Mexican inspired grilled corn salad #salad #cooking #summersalad

♬ A Summer Place – Hollywood Strings Orchestra
  • SERVINGS:  4-6
  • PREP TIME: 25 Mins
  • ACTIVE TIME: 10 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 35 Min

Ingredients:

  • 3 corn on the cob
  • Olive oil
  • salt
  • 1 bunch kale, destemmed, chopped and washed
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup cojita, crumbled
  • 1 cup chips of choice, crushed in your hands
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, minced

Chipotle Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 chipotle pepppers in adobo
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1.25 cups avocado oil

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Remove the husk from the corn and coat the corn on the cob with oil and salt.

STEP 2.

Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Once it is hot, add the corn and grill on all sides until you get a nice char. Around 5 minutes per side. Remove and let cool slightly.

STEP 3.

Cut the corn off of the cob and set aside.

STEP 4.

Prepare the chipotle vinaigrette. In a blender or immersion blender container, add all of the ingredients besides the oil and blend until smooth. While blending, slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing is thick and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

STEP 5.

In a salad bowl, add kale and some of the dressing to coat the kale. Massage into the kale until it is evenly coated.

STEP 6.

Add the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl and dress with dressing. You may not use all of the dressing, so start with a little at a time. Enjoy!

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