This 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. When you throw it on the grill, you get this 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.
- Vegan mayonnaise. The creamy base for the salad.
- 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. We like Follow Your Heart and Violife.
How to Make Vegan Street Corn Salad
Step 1 – Grill Your Corn: Preheat your grill and shuck your corn. When the grill is hot, place ears of corn directly on the grates. When one side is charred a bit, flip your corn. Repeat until each side has char marks.
Step 2 – Slice Your Corn: Once the corn has cooled off, slice the kernels off of the cob.
Step 3 – Assemble the Salad: Add the rest of the salad ingredients into your corn kernels and mix thoroughly.
Step 4 – 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 grilling your corn on the cob, be patient and let the corn get a nice char. It really does at to the overall flavor of the salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely not! While it’s our favorite way to make it, you can also make it on the stove. To do this, slice your corn kernels off of the cob first. Then heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add about a teaspoon of oil, and pan-fry your corn until it turns golden brown.
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 first.
More Summery Vegan Sides
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Vegan)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn husks removed
- 1-2 jalapeños or 1 small red bell pepper, whole
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice from about 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion or sliced scallions (green parts only)
- 1 clove garlic minced (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta we like Violife or Follow Your Heart
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Char the corn
- Preheat grill to 400°F and clean the grill grates.
- Place the shucked ears of corn directly on the grates and cook until charred on one side (about 2-3 minutes). Rotate and repeat twice more until the corn is lightly charred on all sides. Set aside.
- Allow the corn to cool slightly while you make the dressing.
Make the Street Corn Salad
- Now that the corn has cooled enough to touch, slice the kernels off of the cob. An easy way to do this is to place a small bowl or mug upside-down inside of a larger bowl. Balance the ear of corn vertically on the small bowl, then slice the kernels off with a sharp knife. The kernels will fall right into the larger bowl without making a mess on your counter. Add the corn into the mixing bowl with the dressing.
- Stir to combine all of the salad ingredients. Give it a taste and adjust to your preferences: add more salt as needed, more lime juice for acidity, and more onion if you like extra pungency.
- The salad can be served while still slightly warm, or it can be refrigerated for about 2 hours and served chilled. It can be enjoyed 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.