This healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad made with charred sweet corn, Greek yogurt, jalapenos, Cotija cheese, and lime juice is a healthy summer side perfect for a potluck! This twist on esquites is packed with authentic Mexican flavor but way lower in fat and calories!
Course
Appetizer, side, Snack
Cuisine
American, Mexican
Keyword
healthy esquites, healthy street corn salad, Mexican street corn salad
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time10minutes
Total Time20minutes
Servings4
AuthorMarie
Ingredients
6fresh corn ears
1tablespoonavocado oil - or olive oil
⅓cupgreek yogurt - unflavored and unsweetened
¼cupcotija cheese or feta cheese, see notes
⅓cupred onionfinely chopped
⅓cupcilantrochopped + more for serving
2tablespoonlime juice
½teaspoonchili powderstart with that and add more to taste - I used ¾ tsp
¼tspsalt
Instructions
Prepare the corn. Shuck the corn; pull off the husk and rub off the silk by sliding your hand along the ear. Cut off the kernels: rest the ear firmly on a board and cut from stem to tip, without cutting the cob itself to avoid tough, woody bits. (Not going to lie, this part can get a bit messy, but it’s worth it!).
Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add corn kernels and cook until charred, tossing only occasionally (every 2 minutes or so) to let all the corn char nicely. This should take around 8-10 minutes. If you don’t have a large skillet, you might want to char the corns in two batches. Turn off the heat and let it cool a bit.
Transfer to a large bowl, and add greek yogurt, half of the cheese, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder and sea salt. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt and chili powder to taste.
Transfer to a serving dish (or keep in the same bowl), top with remaining cheese and more cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Cotija cheese is a hard crumbly and salty Mexican cheese that looks a lot like feta cheese. In North America, you should have no issue finding it in bigger grocery stores. If you cannot find cotija cheese, you can use feta cheese or even parmesan cheese in this recipe, no problem. That's actually what I did, as we don't get cotija cheese where I live.
Cilantro is the traditional addition here and my favorite, but if you are not a fan, then parsley would be a great alternative. Or add some freshly chopped chives.
Salt and lime juice are key flavors in this salad, do not skimp on either of those ingredients.
You can totally make a whole bunch of this ahead of time and add it as a topping to any of your favorite bowls.
Want to bulk things up some more without piling on more carbs? Add some avocado. This will add a nice creaminess.