Description
A quick, budget-friendly summer side dish featuring sweet grilled corn, smoky Cajun seasoning, and a bright lime dressing. This salad is ready in 30 minutes, feeds a crowd, and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 ears fresh corn on the cob (about 2.5 lbs)
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (divided)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (fresh)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 can black beans, drained
- Optional: 1 small jalapeno, minced
- Optional: 1 large avocado, diced
- Optional: 1 lb grilled shrimp
Instructions
- Husk the corn, removing silk and leaves. Rinse under cold water.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush corn lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with half of the Cajun seasoning.
- Grill corn for 10-15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes, until charred and tender.
- While corn grills, toss diced red pepper and red onion with a little olive oil and remaining Cajun seasoning. Grill for 3-5 minutes until slightly charred and softened (or dice raw if in a rush).
- Let grilled corn cool for 5 minutes. Stand ears upright in a large mixing bowl and slice kernels off the cob. Scrape cobs to release ‘corn milk’.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Combine grilled corn, grilled veggies, and cilantro in the large bowl.
- Pour dressing over the mixture and toss gently to coat.
- Add crumbled feta cheese and optional black beans. Toss again.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lime if needed.
- Let salad sit for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
For best flavor, grill the corn until it has black charred spots. Use fresh lime juice rather than bottled. The salad tastes best at room temperature. If using frozen corn, thaw and pat dry thoroughly before grilling. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and often taste better the next day. Do not freeze this salad as the corn texture will suffer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 5
Keywords: grilled corn salad, cajun corn, summer side dish, budget friendly recipes, labor day recipes, vegetarian side, gluten free side