This salad is packed with amazing flavors including fresh corn, creamy avocado and cotija cheese. It’s great as a side dish, or scooped up on tortilla chips.
Our recent week-long vacation was broken up into two parts. I know it might seem like I’ve been on vacation a ton lately, but it’s mostly just been solo travel, girls’ trips or weekends. This is the first time Nick has had a whole week off (aside from the holidays) in years. So it was pretty exciting.
First stop, Cape Cod. We hadn’t been back to Cape Cod in the summer months since our wedding 3 years ago. And we missed it, a lot. People always ask me if I miss New England, and my answer is always the same. I miss the summers. I don’t miss the winters– AT ALL. So it was great to finally be back in the summer. I have to say though, with highs in the 80’s, this California girl was freezing her butt off. My blood has sooooo thinned since I left!
Whenever we make it to Cape Cod, it’s pretty much a requirement (by Nick) that we have lobsters for dinner one night. I seriously think every time we’ve gone out there, winter or summer (once on New Year’s Eve), we’ve had them. This trip was no different!
We were able to see a ton of family and friends, eat lots of good food, enjoy the beach, sunsets, sailing and all the Cape Coddy things. It was a great trip! Not long enough, but, it never is. It rained a couple days, which in a past life would really bum me out. Now that I live in the desert, I loved it! I went running in the rain and enjoyed curling up with a book all afternoon while listening to it beat down. It’s been a while since I’ve done that!
I made this corn salad right before we left for vacation. This was the first time I’ve photographed it, but I’ve made it a handful of times before. It’s one of my favorite things to make when our cornstand is open with fresh sweet corn. I always serve it as a side dish, but it would also make a great dip, scooped up with tortilla chips. I know this because I happened to have an open bag of chip last time I made it and may or may not have taken a few samples before dinner.
- 2 ears fresh corn, lightly steamed or microwaved, and kernels removed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 large avocados, diced
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, tomatoes, avocado, cotija and cilantro. Toss well.
- Squeeze juice of 1 lime over top, season with salt & pepper. Toss well. Taste and add more lime, salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container.
What did we do after Cape Cod? Stay tuned…
What is cotija cheese?
Barbara– it’s a Mexican cheese. It’s available everywhere around California, but if you’re in other parts of the country you may need to go to a more specialty store like Whole Foods. You could also use queso fresco, another similar Mexican cheese. My friend used fresh mozzarella in a similar salad. Or you could go with a shredded cheddar!
I am SO jealous of all of your awesome vacations, Jess! Sounds like you are having a blast! I am such a sucker for corn salads, I could eat them ALL the time! This southwester version sounds delicious! I love the zesty flavors in here!
So glad you had a great time on your trip 🙂 This corn salad looks so fresh and delicious!
That salad looks so good! I love corn in salad, it’s so good. I would totally eat all of this scooped up on tortillas chips, like the most perfect salsa!
I make this as a salad with a base of arugula and baby endive, using the bell peppers, onion, and corn as more of a garnish. Yellow bell pepper is a great addition, too.