Bright colorful corn salsa is easy to make and a popular family favorite during summer grilling season. It is light, healthy and easy to make and tastes wonderful with tortilla chips. Grilling corn creates charred smoky flavors that combine well with the fresh flavors of the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and lemon. This is the taste of summer that anyone in the group can enjoy. Vegan
The simple recipes are one of the greatest hits of summer cookouts, whether it is just a backyard family gathering or a block party. It is easy to make, low mess, low fuss, and a great way to bond over the shared cooking time.
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This salsa is crunchy, sweet, tangy, fresh, and little spicy. Serve it with chips or on top of tacos enchiladas or add to the stuffing in flautas. Use the freshest ingredients you can find. It is best served fresh but can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a day.
Use the plentiful fresh produce in summer – fresh corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. Whether you call it a salad or salsa it is a healthy and light side dish to serve. Not only is it healthy it is vegan as well. Add a cup of canned beans or grilled tofu and you can make a vegan meal out of this!
Typical Ingredients For Corn Salsa
Corn, tomatoes, cilantro, crunchy onions, green peppers (depending on taste) and lemon are the “must have” ingredients for corn salsa. Other than these you can mix and match a variety of other ingredients according to your taste and what is available in the pantry. A few options are
- avocado
- bell peppers
- canned or cooked beans (black/kidney/pinto/garbanzo)
- cherry tomatoes
- pineapple
- tomatillos (grilled)
- Jicama
Selecting Corn
Have you ever noticed a messy pile of husks near the corn in the grocery store? Well, mine usually have and the store promptly puts up signs asking the patrons not to peel the husks or leave it on the floor for safety reasons. There is a reason why the people in the know resolve to this messy behavior – it is the best way to pick a good ear of corn.
Here are a couple of other ways to pick good corn when you don’t want to or can’t shuck them
- Bright green husks – not dried, not brown, not faded
- Tassels – Golden Brown and slightly sticky/wet not black or dried
- Firm all over – Hold the ear in the palm and feel all over. A good ear will feel tight all over with plump kernels. Avoid ones with gaps as it is a sign of missing kernels.
Grilling Corn
There are many ways to grill the corn and it seems like all experts have their own versions. With the husk on or without the husk, on the charcoal grill or the gas grill or even over an open fire.
- Over medium-high heat grill the corn with husk on (peel off a few leaving 3 to 4 layers covering the corn) until it is charred all over. Remove the husks and tassels and grill for another couple of minutes if you want charred color and marks or to finish cooking. It is messy, but if you are looking for a bit of flavor and plump kernels without the char marks this is the way to go.
- Shuck the corn and lightly brush oil all over. Grill over medium heat turning often until charred all around.
Can’t grill?
This recipe works best with fresh corn. But in a pinch, you can find frozen grilled corn kernels, or sauté corn kernels in a lightly oiled pan. Not the same, but still delicious.
Making the Salsa
Making this salsa is just a matter of chopping it all up and tossing it together.
Slice the corn off the cob
Snap the ear of grilled corn in half and stand it on a cutting board with the cut side down. Use a kitchen knife to slice the kernels.
Chop the vegetables
If using regular tomatoes cut it cross wise and scoop out the seeds and pulp to avoid excess moisture. If you are substituting smaller tomatoes like cherry or grape there is no need to remove the pulp. Just halve the tomatoes and use.
A bit of spice is great in this dish and my preferred chili for this salsa is serrano, but Jalapenos or cayenne peppers work well too. Remove the seeds and ribs from the chilies to avoid any unwanted surprises. If your spice tolerance is really low consider using bell peppers instead.
I like to use purple onions but you could opt for a sweeter version as well. Chop the onions and cilantro into small pieces. If you are using any other additions make sure that they chopped to the same size as the rest of the ingredients.
Putting it together
Once all the ingredients are assembled, toss it together with a dash of salt, pepper and lemon juice. Once mixed taste and adjust the seasoning per your preferences.
Serving ideas
These go great with any meat off the grill, curiously even the ‘pooh pooh salad’ people that I know seem to warm up to this salsa. Chips are another great option, whether it is tortilla chips or potato chips. Another fun way to use up any leftovers is to toss it with cooked macaroni along with a dash of spices – similar to the grilled pasta salad. I love these on tacos as well to add to enchiladas or even flautas.
In other words, you can turn it into an appetizer, snack, or part of your main dish.
Grilled Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 Ears Fresh Corn
- 1/2 C Red Onion diced
- 2 Tomatoes (medium)
- 1 Serrano or jalapeño pepper
- 1 Lemon/ Lime (medium) juiced
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, fresh chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional (use any or all)
- 1 Avocado Diced
- ½ C Black beans
- 2-3 Tomatillos grilled
- 1 Bell Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill the corn using your preferred method until charred. Cool a little and cut kernels from cobs. (Notes)
- Cut the tomatoes crosswise and remove the seeds and pulp. If substituting cherry tomatoes just halve them. Remove the seeds and ribs from the pepper and slice fine. Juice the lemon.
- Add the corn, tomatoes, diced onions, cilantro, and any optional ingredients used into a large bowl. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice on top. Toss everything together taste and adjust flavorings to your taste.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers and use them within a couple of days.
Notes
Nutrition
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.
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