Mexican Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado
By Terry Hope Romero, author Protein Ninja
Serves 3 to 4 Time: 45 minutes Gluten Free
Creamy Lime Dressing
1/2 cup unroasted cashews
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil
1 clove peeled garlic
2 teaspoons shiro (white) miso
Corn Salad
4 corn on cob, peeled and silk removed
Olive oil for grilling
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 green or red jalapeno pepper, roasted or fresh, seeds removed and minced
2 teaspoons chile powder, preferably Mexican such as ancho or chipotle
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 big red ripe tomato, core removed and diced
Lime wedges for squeezing over salad
There’s a few corn salads in this book (corn is the perfect hearty addition to summertime salads), but it all started here: a luscious vegan adaption of esquites, the queen of creamy inviting roasted corn salads. Unlike the other salads, this is really best when the corn is still warm from roasting, so prep all of the veggies (and the dressing, but you knew that alread!) first, so all that’s required is toasted hot corn for a mouthwatering treat.
1. Make the dressing first! Soak the cashews in the hot water for 30 minutes, then pulse in a blender until smooth. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, pulse until silky, then chill until ready to use in the salad.
2. Preheat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub the ears of corn with olive oil and grill each ear until kernels are lightly charred, turning the cobs occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer from a pan to a cutting board and cool just enough so it’s easy to handle. Use a sharp knife with a thin blade to slice off corn kernels from the cob; for best results (and prevent kernels from taking flight) slice a few rows of an ear, lay it flat on a cutting board, then slice off the remaining corn. Always keep one side of the ear flat on the cutting board.
3. Transfer corn to a big mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, scallions, and jalapeño. Drizzle on the dressing combine. Transfer the salad to serving dishes. Top each serving with diced avocado, tomato, and sprinkle each serving with chile powder. Serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over salad while corn is still warm!
