There’s something about grilled corn that brings memories of hot, humid Louisiana summers. After my father brought in the plate of hot, grilled corn; we’d roll the corn cobs into a bowl of scallion-infused butter.

Now that we have our own grill, I have to fight the kids for the fresh corn before they even hit the grill! Once they’ve shucked the corn, the fat, juicy kernels just begged to be bitten. Thankfully some of them actually make it onto our grill.

This time I didn’t roll the corn in scallion butter. Instead, I let the smoky grilled corn cool just enough to handle and cut the kernels off for an easy corn salad. Why mar the fresh flavors of summer with something heavy? The garlicky cilantro lime vinaigrette is just tangy enough to contrast with the corn’s natural sweetness. You can easily add chopped jalepenos to the salad for an extra kick. I’m going to do that next time.

The great thing about this salad is that you can toss in whatever fresh produce you have: red bell peppers, celery, even avocados. Serve it as a side to grilled chicken or steak. Even better, top a grilled portabello mushroom with the salad. Grill the corn ahead of time, or if you’re lucky enough to have leftover grilled corn, give it new life. This tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.

If you’re intimidated by the idea of cutting the corn off the cob, here’s a video tutorial.

Tangy & Sweet (Easy) Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

Tangy & Sweet Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

Yield: Serves 8-12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

The super easy salad can be made a day ahead. Perfect for picnics and potlucks.

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Ingredients

• 8 ears of fresh corn, shucked
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup red onion, chopped (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped with seeds removed
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 cup of cilantro leaves
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Brush corn with olive oil. Grill over medium high heat, allowing corn to char slightly. Turn to roast all sides. Remove from heat.

Hold corn perpendicular to cutting board and cut off kernels with sharp knife. Add cut corn into large bowl.

Add onions and tomatoes into bowl of corn.

Vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, add lime juice, honey, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend for 30 seconds.

Pour vinaigrette into corn salad and mix until well combined. Serve warm or at room temperature.