Street Corn Creamy Cucumber Salad (Printable)
Vibrant blend of charred corn, crisp cucumbers, and zesty cotija dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3 ears fresh corn)
02 - 2 large cucumbers, diced
03 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
04 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced (optional)
→ Dairy
06 - 1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta as substitute)
→ Dressing
07 - 1/3 cup sour cream
08 - 3 tbsp mayonnaise
09 - 1 clove garlic, minced
10 - Juice of 1 lime
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# Steps:
01 - If using fresh corn, heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Char the corn kernels for 4–5 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled corn, diced cucumbers, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.
03 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat.
05 - Fold in the crumbled cotija cheese.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Chill for 10–15 minutes before serving for best flavor.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The creamy dressing hits all those Mexican street corn flavors but without the mess of eating corn on the cob
- It gets better as it sits, so it is actually the perfect make ahead side for any gathering
02 -
- The salad needs those 15 minutes of chilling time for the cucumbers to absorb the dressing properly
- Charred corn really is worth the extra step, it adds a depth you cannot get from plain boiled corn
03 -
- Grill extra corn when you already have the grill going for other meals, then keep it in the freezer
- A microplane makes the garlic practically dissolve into the dressing for no raw garlic bites