This Vegan Mexican Street Corn salad is the perfect side dish for the summertime. Corn is in season during the summer and it’s incredibly sweet and flavorful. You can throw it on the grill or cook in a ripping hot pan to get that beautiful char on the corn which adds that smoky flavor. Mix in some vegan mayo, some aromatics, and a squeeze of lime, and you have your corn salad all ready to go.
Table of Contents
Elote vs. Esquites vs. Elote en Vaso
This corn salad is inspired by a few different types of corn dishes traditionally served in Mexico: elote, esquites, and elote en vaso. All of these dishes are similar but unique in their own ways.
Elote is a hugely popular street food in Mexico that has made its way into the American food space. Elote is grilled corn on the cob that’s smothered in toppings and served on a stick.
Esquites is the “off the cob” version of elote. The corn is grilled, sliced off the cob, and all of the toppings are mixed in with the corn to make a version that you can eat out of a bowl. This recipe is most similar to esquites.
Elote en vaso translates to “corn in a cup”, which is just another way to refer to esquites. All in all, my recipe takes inspiration from all of these traditional Mexican corn dishes.
Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Corn. During the summer, fresh corn has incredible flavor and sweetness that really shines in this recipe.
- Feel free to use canned or frozen corn if fresh isn’t in season.
- Vegan mayonnaise. Half of the creamy base for the salad.
- Vegan sour cream or yogurt. I like using half mayo and half non-dairy sour cream or plain yogurt to lighten it up.
- Jalapeños. To add a little heat. Feel free to sub bell pepper if you don’t like spice.
- Garlic and red onion. The garlic is optional, but the red onion adds a nice bite that’s not too pungent.
- Chili powder. A spice blend that adds the right balance of flavor.
- Lime juice. For that fresh, acidic kick.
- Cilantro. A staple herb in Mexican cuisine.
- Vegan feta. This replaces the cotija cheese in traditional elote. We like Follow Your Heart and Violife.
How to Make Vegan Street Corn Salad
Step 1 – Prep Your Corn
- Grilling Option: Preheat your grill and shuck your corn. Place ears of corn directly on the hot grates, turning until each side has char marks. Once cooled, slice the kernels off the cob.
- Stovetop Option: Shuck your corn and slice the kernels off the cob first. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil or vegan butter, and pan-fry the kernels until deeply charred, stirring occasionally.
Step 2 – Assemble the Salad: Add the rest of the salad ingredients into your corn kernels, give it a pinch of salt and some black pepper, and mix thoroughly. (Though I like to add the vegan feta cheese in right before serving so it stays intact!)
Step 3 – Enjoy! You can eat this corn salad while it’s still slightly warm, or pop it in the fridge to get cold. Remember, the longer you leave it in the fridge, the more the flavors will develop and become even tastier!
👩🍳 Sarah’s Recipe Notes 📝
- A trick to slice your corn off the cob. To make this process easier, I like to place a small bowl upside-down inside of a larger bowl, rest the base of the corn on top of the small bowl, and carefully slice off the kernels. This way, your corn falls right into the bowl that you’ll be using to assemble the rest of the salad. No mess!
- Don’t skimp on the char! When you’re charring your corn, either on the grill or in a pan, be patient and let the corn get a nice char. It really does at to the overall flavor of the salad!
- Add the feta last! I like to add the feta in right before serving so it doesn’t disintegrate into the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though neither option will be as tasty as fresh corn. If I were to recommend one of the two, I would go with frozen corn. To use frozen or canned corn, use 2 cups of kernels. Simply follow the pan-frying instructions above to cook.
If you’re using canned corn, make sure to drain it and pat the kernels dry completely so they char instead of steam.
Yes, every ingredient in this recipe is naturally gluten-free, including the vegan feta brands we recommend (Violife and Follow Your Heart are both certified gluten-free).
Serving Suggestions
This dairy-free corn salad is the perfect summer side. Bring it to a cookout or potluck and people will love it! You can make it in advance and it’ll get even tastier in the fridge. It also works beautifully spooned over tacos, tucked into burrito bowls, or served alongside anything off the grill. If you’re feeding a crowd, double the batch.
We love to serve this with our summer tofu recipes, such as Chimichurri Grilled Tofu, Blackened Tofu, and Lemon Herb Grilled Tofu.
Optional Add-Ins & Toppings
This salad is a great base for customization! A few ideas:
- Corn tortilla chips — serve the salad as a dip! This is an especially good way to serve it for a crowd.
- Avocado — sliced it or dice it however you like it. Mix it in or place on top right before serving.
- Beans — black beans or pinto beans stirred in makes this more filling and adds some protein. A half a standard can will work.
- Tajín — a sprinkle on top adds an extra pop of chili-lime flavor that’s incredible with the corn.
- Vegan sour cream — swap half the mayo for vegan sour cream for an even tangier dressing! Our favorite brands are Forager and Violife.
Storage
Store any leftover corn salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Because this dish is served cold or at room temperature, it’s perfect for making ahead of time — the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the lime, chili, and aromatics will meld together and develop flavor!
More Summery Vegan Recipes
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Classic Vegan Potato Salad
- Coconut Rice
- Blackened Tofu
- Southwest Dense Bean Salad (Cowboy Caviar)
- Chimichurri Grilled Tofu
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Vegan)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn husks removed
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup nondairy sour cream or unsweetened yogurt or just use more mayo
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 1 small lime
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1-2 jalapeños finely diced, or sub half a bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup minced red onion or sliced scallions (green parts only)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Char the corn (Stovetop option)
- Slice the kernels off the corn cobs. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. (Cast iron works great for this.) You can use a dry pan or, optionally, add a little plant-based butter. Add the corn kernels and let them to cook 2-3 minutes undisturbed until lightly charred. (The corn will pop, so be careful!) Stir and repeat until evenly charred. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prep your other ingredients.
Char the corn (Grill option)
- Preheat grill to 400°F and clean the grill grates.
- Place the whole shucked ears of corn directly on the grates and cook until charred on one side (about 2-3 minutes). Rotate and repeat until the corn is lightly charred on all sides. Allow to cool and the slice the kernels off the cob.
Make the Street Corn Salad
- In a large mixing bowl, combine vegan mayo and vegan yogurt (or sour cream), lime juice, chili powder, diced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, red onion, and minced garlic. Then add in the toasted corn kernels and stir to combine.
- I prefer to add the vegan feta crumbles just before serving. (They can start to melt into the dressing if added too early.) After stirring in the cheese, taste and add more salt, pepper, or lime juice to taste.
- Before serving, garnish with extra feta crumbles, cilantro, and an extra sprinkle of chili powder. The salad can be served while still slightly warm, or it can be refrigerated and served chilled. Enjoy as a side salad or as a dip for corn tortilla chips!
Spicy and creamy! Delicious! I used frozen roasted corn, Hellman’s vegan mayonnaise and Violife feta which I cut into tiny chunks. I’m very happy with how this turned out.
Oh yeah, so good! I like splitting the sauce with sour cream. It adds a nice bite. The charring of the corn is next level and yet so easy. Will make again bc at this moment I don’t think I can win the fight of not eating it all at once. Pairs well with blue corn chips
This is super delicious! Made it with frozen corn and pickled jalapeño. I’m sure its going to be even MORE delicious with fresh ingredients. This was creamy, smoky, tangy, and an amazing texture. I was eating this right out the bowl with no chips or tortillas. Definitely adding this to my rotation of meals.
I’ve had Trader Joe’s frozen elote corn, but this is sooo much better. Fresh, textured, and creamy. All the flavors of the street corn but you can shovel it in with a spoon! I’m wondering how it would taste with diced fresh poblano added in with the jalapeno. Next week we will find out! Thank you both for such great food!