Corn Avocado Tomato Salad is sweet, grilled corn, creamy avocado, and perfectly ripe tomatoes tossed in a buttermilk chive dressing that's just dreamy. It's so good, so easy, and the perfect salad recipe for the summer days when you're soaking up the sunshine!
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This super simple, absolutely delicious summer salad recipe is just too good. Reminiscent of a street corn or elote dish in flavor, it's simple to make, comes together in no time, and it's a true stunner. The colors, the textures, and that bright, tangy buttermilk chive dressing is the stuff dreams are made of!
Make it for an easy dinner salad or serve it to friends at your next get together, but whatever you do, make this one! You're gonna love it!
Corn On The Cob Cooking Methods
If you don't want to grill the fresh sweet corn for this salad recipe, no worries at all. You can cook it a variety of different ways.
- Remove the corn from the cob and sauté in a hot skillet with some avocado oil for 3-5 minutes.
- Bring a pot of liberally salted water to a boil and cook the corn for 3-5 minutes.
- Keep the corn in its husk and microwave for 3-5 minutes. This is a super easy way to steam the corn.
No matter what method you choose, just remember you don't have to cook corn to well done. It can even be enjoyed raw. I love just a kiss of heat so that it retains it's natural sweet crunch.
Tips and Tricks
Make the dressing at least 1 hour before serving to allow for the flavors to marry. The longer is sits, the better it gets.
Make sure the corn is dry before grilling if you want to get pretty grill marks. Moisture is your enemy. Dry it first, then brush it with oil.
To prevent the avocado from browning, do not add it to the salad until just before serving. You can also toss it with a little bit of lime juice to further prevent that.
Variations and Substitutions
If you don't have cotija cheese, feta is a wonderful substitution!
Cucumbers are wonderful with this salad. They add a lovely crunch and fresh flavor.
Bacon. Bacon makes everything better. Simply toss in some crisped bacon if you want even more awesome flavor to this corn avocado tomato salad recipe.
Red onion instead of green onions. I love red onion in salad. Add it fresh or grilled to the corn avocado tomato salad recipe. It'll be so good!
Frozen or Canned Corn. You can use other corn if you don't have fresh sweet corn. To give you the best chance of getting grill or char makes, make sure the frozen corn is thawed and well drained. For canned corn, drain it well and dry it as much as possible. Toss either with some avocado oil and sear in a HOT skillet to get some color.
If you want to add a touch of sweetness to the dressing, a little honey or maple syrup would be fantastic. Start with a teaspoon of either and go up from there.
This corn avocado tomato salad is also the perfect salad to serve alongside your favorite protein. If you're at the grill anyway, throw on some steaks or shrimp for the protein. Roasted chicken and your favorite weeknight fish would be lovely. Toss in some garbanzo beans or chickpeas to keep it veggie forward. Literally anything would go!
Corn Avocado Tomato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-6 ears corn shucked and silk removed
- 1 bunch green onions trimmed
- 1 jalapeño halved and seeds removed
- 2-3 tablespoon avocado oil for brushing and grilling
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 4-6 oz cotija cheese crumbled
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon tajin
- ½ cup fresh chives minced
- 2 small cloves of garlic grated
- juice and zest of one lime
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 4-6 cups romaine lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, minced chives, garlic, lime juice and zest together. Stir in the crumbled cotija. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Store in fridge until ready to serve.
- Heat grill to medium-high. Brush corn, green onions and jalapeño with avocado oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Arrange on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn, green onions, and jalapeños are grilled to your liking. Approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer corn, green onions, and jalapeño to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Remove corn from cob, chop green onions and jalapeño.
- In a large bowl or serving platter, arrange lettuce with cut corn kernels, green onion, and jalapeño. Add avocado slices and tomatoes. Serve with buttermilk dressing.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this salad recipe gluten-free?
Yes! No worries with that dietary concern for this recipe.
How can I get grill marks without grilling?
If you don't want to grill the corn, green onions, and jalapeños, you can also get great grill or char marks in a hot cast iron skillet or with the broiler.
For the cast iron, get it HOT and let them sear and develop color. Rotate corn, green onions, and jalapeño every few minutes until you achieve char marks.
For the broiler, preheat it to high. Place the corn, green onions, and jalapeño onto a sheet pan and brush with the avocado oil and toss with a little kosher salt. The broiler method will only take a few minutes per side so keep an eye on it. Rotate everything until you achieve char marks.
Can I make this corn avocado tomato salad ahead of time?
The dressing absolutely tastes better if it's made ahead of time - up to day before serving. The rest of the components can be prepped ahead of time, but I would only assemble this salad recipe just before serving.
Serving Ideas
Corn Avocado Tomato Salad is just stunning. I love to serve mine family style on a sheet pan or large salad platter with the dressing on the side. It's perfect for parties and get togethers.
I'm always a super fan of a piece of crusty bread to go along with a salad. My Dutch Oven No Knead Bread would be fantastic!
And, if you're looking for a main dish to have with this salad, my Skillet Chicken Enchiladas or Mexican Chicken Soup would be so good! Serve this salad with some Fritos or your favorite tortilla chips for crunch!
Storage Instructions
Unless you plan on eating the entire salad in one sitting, store the salad components separately in the fridge. If stored separately, the components will stay good up to 3 days.
If you toss everything together and then try to store it, this salad will become soggy and wilt. The avocado will also turn. It's just not something I recommend doing.
Don't freeze it. Please.
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my corn avocado tomato salad recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or TikTok! I love seeing all of your masterpieces!
If you guys make this corn avocado tomato salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a star rating in the recipe card! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments! And, as always, be kind. I’m only human.
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
Sara says
what a great take on salad! nothing boring about this salad recipe! will be adding it to my salad rotation for something different and tasty!
Rufus says
Thank you so very much! So glad you liked it!