Mexican Corn and Tomato Salad
This simple yet flavorful side dish comes together quickly (20 minutes, tops) and is a perfect accompaniment to enchiladas, burritos, and all sorts of Mexican fare. I’ve also served it as a dip with tortilla chips, as a component in a burrito bowl over a base of brown rice or farro, and even as a filling for tacos and quesadillas. It’s a great recipe for entertaining a crowd too: It can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator overnight and even up to a day or two (just bring it to room temperature or warm it up before serving); I’ve doubled and tripled it for parties and it’s always a hit!
This salad is endlessly versatile and can be customized many different ways. If you like a little more spice, add a (seeded and) minced jalapeño pepper and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes when sautéing the red pepper and onion. If you have extra zucchini from your garden or a generous neighbor (lucky you!), chop one up and add it to the pan with the corn. Diced avocado is also an excellent addition, but I usually leave it out because if we’re having a Mexican-style meal, you can be sure we’re already consuming plenty of avocados in the form of guacamole. However, if you choose to add avocado to this salad, just fold it in gently right before serving.
VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE
This salad is endlessly versatile and can be customized many different ways. If you like a little more spice, add a (seeded and) minced jalapeño pepper and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes when sautéing the red pepper and onion. If you have extra zucchini from your garden or a generous neighbor (lucky you!), chop one up and add it to the pan with the corn. Diced avocado is also an excellent addition, but I usually leave it out because if we’re having a Mexican-style meal, you can be sure we’re already consuming plenty of avocados in the form of guacamole. However, if you choose to add avocado to this salad, just fold it in gently right before serving.
VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE
Author: Wholesome Family Kitchen
Serves: 4 to 6 as a side dish.
Ingredients
- • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- • ½ cup minced red onion (about ½ of a medium-sized onion)
- • 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced small (roughly the same size as the corn kernels)
- • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- • 4 ears corn, husks and silks removed and kernels cut from the cob (about 3 cups of corn kernels) *
- • 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large) (about 2 cups) **
- • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (plus more to taste)
- • ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and the pepper is slightly softened yet still retains some crunch, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is tender and starts to lose some of its starchiness, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and another generous pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon, or perhaps less if you’re using canned tomatoes). Continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes start to slump a bit and release some of their juices, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly for a minute or two. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro or parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. (If your corn is super sweet, you might need additional lime juice to balance the sweetness.) Serve right away, or store overnight (or up to 2 days) in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature (or warm slightly) and taste and readjust seasonings before serving.
Notes
* Cutting corn off the cob can be a mess-making process, at least in my experience, with corn kernels scattered across the kitchen counter and spilling onto the floor. The method I’ve found that works the best to help contain the mess is as follows: Set the shucked ear of corn vertically on its wider end in a shallow bowl, and carefully run a thin, sharp knife down one length of the corn, narrow tip to wide base. (The bowl should capture most of the corn kernel fallout.) Continue in this way, slicing vertically around the cob until all the kernels are removed.
And if you don’t have access to fresh corn on the cob, or you’re just not feeling up to peeling husks and cutting kernels off multiple ears of corn, feel free to use frozen corn, thawed and drained. (A 1-lb. package of frozen corn contains about 3 cups of corn, just enough for this dish.) You can even use corn that’s already been cooked (if you have leftover grilled corn, even better—it adds a smoky flavor that complements the other ingredients quite well); just add it in with the tomatoes to heat it through.
** You can substitute a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes for fresh tomatoes. Just drain any excess juices before adding them to the pan. And if you go this route, it’s worth seeking out fire-roasted diced tomatoes for that smoky flavor element, which plays nicely off the sweet corn and red bell pepper.
And if you don’t have access to fresh corn on the cob, or you’re just not feeling up to peeling husks and cutting kernels off multiple ears of corn, feel free to use frozen corn, thawed and drained. (A 1-lb. package of frozen corn contains about 3 cups of corn, just enough for this dish.) You can even use corn that’s already been cooked (if you have leftover grilled corn, even better—it adds a smoky flavor that complements the other ingredients quite well); just add it in with the tomatoes to heat it through.
** You can substitute a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes for fresh tomatoes. Just drain any excess juices before adding them to the pan. And if you go this route, it’s worth seeking out fire-roasted diced tomatoes for that smoky flavor element, which plays nicely off the sweet corn and red bell pepper.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-summer-corn-and-tomato-salad-two-ways/