Easy Avocado Corn Salad

Celebrate summer with this delicious Avocado Corn Salad! It’s made with fresh, juicy corn, ripe tomatoes, creamy avocado, and a bright and zesty chili lime dressing. The delicious combination of flavors and textures will keep the whole family coming back for more! 

Summer salads are something we look forward to every year as the weather warms up. From our Vegan Macaroni Salad, Vegan Pasta Salad, to to this Vegan Cobb Salad in a Jar there’s a salad for every occasion. If you’re looking for a salad that’s perfect for a hot summer day and captures all of our favorite flavors of summer, you can’t go wrong with this Corn Avocado Salad. It makes the perfect side dish or chip dip and is a crowd favorite amongst every kind of eater! 

Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions

This salad is made of two components: the main salad ingredients and a homemade zesty dressing. Here are the basics, plus a few substitutions you can make as needed: 

Salad Ingredients

• Scallions: Also known as green onions or spring onions in some countries. If you prefer a more mild onion like flavor, use the green tops of the onions only. If you enjoy a stronger onion flavor, use both the green and white portions of the scallions.   
• Corn: Fresh sweet corn is the best type of corn, but frozen or canned corn will work, too. This would be a great recipe to make when repurposing our grilled corn on the cob, too!
• Jalapeño: We used a full jalapeño with the seeds removed. Depending on your spice preference and the spiciness of your jalapeño, adjust the amount you add to the salad. Similarly, if you want a spicier avocado corn salad, add the jalapeño seeds in!   
•  Tomato: Any ripe summer tomatoes will work well. We used tomatoes on the vine, but halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are another great choice. 
• Avocado: Ripe avocado is key for the best creamy texture. If you need to ripen your avocados quickly check out these tips from Bon Appétit.   
• Cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro added bright flavor and freshness to the delicious avocado corn salad. If you don’t enjoy the flavor of cilantro, omit it or replace it with another herb such as fresh parsley or fresh basil. 

Lime Dressing Ingredients

• Aliums:  Adds an aromatic, garlicky touch to the dressing without being over-powering. If you have it, you can replace the shallot with finely diced red onion or yellow onion.  
• Lime: You’ll need both fresh lime juice and fresh lime zest. For the best flavor, pre-bottled lime juice is not recommended. 
• Oil: We used extra virgin olive oil, but any neutral tasting oil will work. Avocado oil is another great option.
• White wine vinegar: Adds acidity and a subtle sweetness. We prefer white wine vinegar because we find it to be a bit more balanced in flavor than red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but any of these vinegars will work. 
• Agave: A subtle source of sweetness to balance the bright and savory flavors in the dressing. Another liquid sweetener such as maple syrup would work, too. 
• Spices: We’re keeping it simple with a blend of cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Feel free to adjust the amount of spices to taste!  

Equipment Needed

• Cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan
• Sharp chef’s knife and cutting board
• Mixing bowls
• Citrus juicer
• Whisk
• Spatula

How to Make an Avocado Corn Salad

Watch us make this Summer Corn Salad along with 2 other recipes you need to try before summer ends on our Youtube Channel! 

1. Char the scallions. Add the scallions into a hot cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until sufficiently charred. Remove the scallions to a cutting board, chop them roughly, then set aside. 
2. Cut the corn off the cob. Our favorite way to do this is by placing a small bowl upside down in the center of a large bowl. Then, balance the corn on the cob vertically on the small bowl so when you cut the corn the corn kernels fall directly into the large mixing bowl. You can also do this using a bundt pan. If you need a visual, learn How to Cut Corn off the Cob with this simple tutorial. 
3. Char the corn kernels. Heat the same pan used to cook the scallions over medium heat. Once hot, add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil as well as the cut corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until lightly charred. Season with salt and black pepper, then set aside to cool. 
4. Prepare the dressing. While the corn cools, prepare the fresh lime dressing. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the shallot, grated garlic, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, vinegar, agave, and spices.
5. Add the salad ingredients. Once the corn is cool, add the corn, charred scallions, jalapeño, diced tomatoes, chunks of avocado and fresh cilantro to a bowl. Gently toss to combine, then season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. 
6. Chill, then serve. Cover the avocado corn salad with plastic wrap or reusable wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving to combine the flavors. Enjoy immediately as desired! 

Serving Suggestions 

This Avocado Corn Salad can be served as an easy side dish. salsa-inspired chip dip, or delicious garnish. It’s perfect for parties, hosting, and using up those sweet ears of corn during the summer months. 

Serving as a side dish: We love serving this avocado corn salad recipe as a side salad alongside our Grillable Veggie Burgers or 5-Ingredient Black Bean Burgers, Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches, or Grilled Barbecue Tofu Skewers. It’s also delicious served on top of tacos and taquitos like this Vegan Carne Asada, Tofu Tacos, or these Baked Mushroom & Potato Taquitos. 

Serving as a salsa: Pair it with your favorite tortilla chips (give our homemade tortilla chips a try!), Classic Margaritas or Homemade Strawberry Lemonade. It also pairs well with additional vegan appetizers and snacks such as Loaded Vegan Nachos, Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa and Classic Homemade Guacamole.

Turn it into a main dish: Serve this simple salad over a bed of romaine lettuce with a can of black beans and your favorite plant-based protein such as this Easy Crispy Tofu or Grilled Barbecue Tofu Skewers. A sprinkle of Vegan Feta Cheese would be delicious, too!

Storage Instructions

Once prepared, leftover Corn Tomato Avocado Salad will keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days. The creamy avocado may brown, but it will still be safe to eat as long as it smells good. 

Freezing or heating is not recommended. 

More Summer Corn Recipes You May Enjoy: 

• Esquites-Inspired Pasta Salad (Mexican Corn Salad-Inspired)  – The perfect summer side dish that is full of flavor.
• Smoky Corn Chowder – A summer chowder worth chowing down on.
• Grilled Buffalo Corn on the Cob – This is a must-try if you like buffalo-flavored foods!
• Vegan Street Corn Dip – A corn dip worth swooning over.
• Savory Corn Pancakes – A savory breakfast pancake that is super unique and tasty.
• The Best Vegan Creamed Corn – The ultimate creamed corn recipe is here!

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes; we love to see your photos!

Print

Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!