Say hello to my Mexican Street Corn Chopped Salad. Paired with a chipotle lime dressing and homemade sourdough ranch croutons, this dish screams summer!
Feeling inspired!
I don’t know what it is about street corn, or Elote as you may know it, but recently I’ve been so obsessed with it! It’s so satisfying to eat – it’s juicy, delicious and packed with flavor! I’ve been playing around with some ways to build recipes around it, and it been so fun! A couple of weeks ago, I made Female Foodie’s Mexican street corn pasta salad. It was one of the best pasta salads I have ever had! So many good flavors, interesting textures and I love that it is something a little different from your typical pasta salad.
I was inspired to throw my own chopped salad twist on her recipe, and man did this Street Corn Chopped Salad turn out good! The skillet corn method and dressing worked so perfectly for this chopped salad. I knew I wanted to add in some crunchy croutons for some extra texture, and the ranch seasoned ones are pure perfection here.
Start to finish, this recipe should only take you around 25 – 30 minutes active prep time (depending on how speedy you are with veggie prep – if you’re a little nervous or prefer to take your time chopping, it may take a little longer!). I love how all the different components come together in this salad – it makes for such a beautifully balanced flavor profile! You get the sweet nuttiness of the grilled corn, a little spice from the hot peppers, the savory ranch croutons, all tied together by the zesty chipotle dressing. You have got to give it a try!
Elote your way
Living in Austin, I’ve been exposed to an incredible Mexican food scene and I love drawing inspiration from all the vibrant flavors and textures. I feel like this Street Corn Chopped Salad is a perfect representation of that! If you love the sound of that, you need to check out my cookbook! The Tex-Mex Table has everything you need to whip up your very own Austinite feast.
This salad is bursting with so many flavors, and can totally stand on its own two feet as a filling lunch or light dinner. It works equally as well as a side dish to any delicious main course! If you want to enjoy it as a meal in itself, I’d recommend adding some grilled chicken or shrimp for a protein boost! For my vegetarian friends, you can enjoy this as is or add in your favorite protein option – I think some marinated tofu could work great, or even some plant-based sausage de-skinned and crumbled in.
This Street Corn Chopped Salad can easily be made gluten-free by swapping out the regular sourdough (for croutons) for your favorite GF alternative, and follow exactly the same instructions.
I personally love street corn in the warmer months – it just hits different! I can see this salad being the perfect thing for those hot summer days where you want something light and satisfying, but without compromising on flavor. If it’s super hot where you are, you can even leave this Street Corn Chopped Salad in the fridge for a short while before you eat it for a cold meal that’s sure to be refreshing. (Be sure to keep the chipotle dressing separate from the salad until time to serve, though!) It’s so versatile, I just love it! If you’d like to check out any of my other street corn recipes, you can find them here!
What you’ll need:
Ranch Croutons
- 2 cups sourdough bread, cut into cubes
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp ranch seasoning (I used Trader Joe’s but Hidden Valley will also work)
Chipotle Dressing
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 chipotle in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Zest of half a lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 cups fresh corn kernels, about 3-4 ears
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 a jalapeño, finely diced, seeds and ribs removed
- 2 heads of romaine, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 3-4 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese, grated or crumbled
How it’s done:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the cubed sourdough to a baking sheet in a single layer. Add olive oil and use clean hands to coat the cubed sourdough in the oil. Sprinkle on the ranch seasoning (depending on personal preference, you can use anywhere from 1 tsp to 1 & a 1/2 tsp of this). Toss again to evenly coat.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the croutons are baking, make the chipotle dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Once your skillet is heated, add the olive oil to coat the base of the pan. Add the corn kernels to the pan in one even layer. Season with salt and pepper then cover the skillet with a lid.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes – the corn should be a bit charred on the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium, and add in the minced garlic. Stir to combine and cook uncovered for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool before assembling the salad.
- In a large salad bowl, add the chopped romaine, cooked corn with garlic, diced jalapeño, cilantro, green onion, cotija and croutons.
- Drizzle on your desired amount of chipotle dressing and toss until the salad is fully coated. Serve immediately and enjoy!
FAQs
Once prepared, your salad should last 2 – 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. If you expect to have leftovers, I’d strongly recommend keeping the chipotle dressing in a separate container (i.e. don’t toss your salad in this until it’s time to eat!) to avoid any sogginess.
The only gluten containing ingredient in my Street Corn Chopped Salad is the sourdough bread for croutons, so you can easily make this a gluten-free meal by swapping the regular sourdough bread for your favorite GF alternative and follow the same instructions to make the ranch seasoned croutons.
Yes, you can used canned corn. I would always recommend trying this with freshly shucked corn kernels – you can’t beat the flavor, you can absolutely taste the difference! However, if you’re in a pinch for time or simply can’t find fresh corn, canned will work fine.
Other recipes you will love:
- Street Corn Salmon Tacos
- Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Street Corn Chowder
- Shrimp Street Corn Enchiladas
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PrintStreet Corn Chopped Salad
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-5 servings
Ingredients
Ranch Croutons
2 cups sourdough bread, cut into cubes
1 & 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp ranch seasoning, I used Trader Joe’s but Hidden Valley will also work
Chipotle Dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1 chipotle in adobo sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
zest of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste
Salad
2 tbsp olive oil
2.5 cups fresh corn kernels, about 3-4 ears
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 a jalapeño, finely diced, seeds and ribs removed
2 heads of romaine, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
3-4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cotija cheese, grated or crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the cubed sourdough to a baking sheet in a single layer. Add olive oil and use clean hands to coat the cubed sourdough. Sprinkle on the ranch seasoning. You can use anywhere from 1 tsp to 1 & a 1/2 tsp of this. Toss again to evenly coat.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the croutons are baking, make the chipotle dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Once skillet is heated, add the olive oil to coat. Add the corn kernels to the pan in one even layer. Season with salt and pepper then cover the skillet with a lid.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, the corn is should be a bit charred on the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium, and add in the minced garlic. Stir to combine and cook uncovered for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool before assembling the salad.
- In a large salad bowl add the chopped romaine, cooked corn with garlic, diced jalapeño, cilantro, green onion, cotija and croutons.
- Drizzle on desired amount of chipotle dressing. Toss to fully the coat the salad. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Once prepared, your salad should last 2 – 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. I’d strongly recommend keeping the chipotle dressing in a separate container to avoid any sogginess.
