BBQ Ideas: Raw Corn Salad
Hi There!
Are you going to a BBQ this weekend? Sometimes I have a really hard time thinking up new and creative dishes to make for BBQs. Most people already have the beans, the green salad, the coleslaw, and baked potatoes down. But, what can you bring that doesn’t heat up your own kitchen and that’s kind of healthy?
This is the perfect solution; raw corn salad. I first had this when Hana, who wrote this post, made a version of it for some event we were having. I was surprised at how simple and delicious it was. Seriously, the corn is so crunchy and sweet when it’s raw. And when you pair it with the juicy tomatoes and a refreshing limey zing. Ugh. Love. Plus, no slaving over a hot stove or suffering from bursts of heat coming out of your oven. Sign me up!
Dice the onions first and toss them into a bowl of water. The water seeps away their harsh bite, leaving you with a pleasant but milder onion flavor. When you are ready to throw everything together, just drain them and toss them in with everything else.
Here’s a tip: Instead of trying to cut the corn off the cob on a cutting board, try standing the cob upright with the base of the cob in the bottom of a bowl. This way when you are using your knife to saw off the corn kernels, they will just fall into the bowl instead of across your kitchen counters and floors (I’m still finding bits of corn on the floor this morning, don’t be like me).
I usually don’t say anything about buying organic, but if you can swing it, try to go for the organic corn. Corn is one of the top three genetically modified crops in the U.S. and some health issues have been linked with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I know sometimes it’s hard to justify spending more money for what looks like the exact same product, but this is an important one to go organic on, if possible.
I really love this salad with a shower of lime juice squeezed over the top. The freshness of the ingredients really comes through when you don’t add any dressing. But just in case you think I’m a little crazy, I included an avocado dressing below that is creamy and summery and really is the perfect compliment to the corn and tomatoes.
Raw Corn Salad
One recipe can serve 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cobs of corn, cut off of the cobs
- 2 large, ripe, and juicy tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 of a red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of basil, torn or chopped
- juice of 1-2 limes
- salt and peper to taste
For the dressing (optional, you could just use the lime juice as the dressing):
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- water to thin to desired consistency (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
Method
Dice the red onion first and place into a bowl filled with water. Let them sit in the water, stirring occasionally until you are finished chopping the remaining ingredients. Combine the corn kernels, diced tomato, basil, salt, pepper, and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Remove the diced red onions from their bowl of water and toss them into the large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Toss everything together and taste. Adjust for seasonings, adding more salt, pepper or lime juice if you wish, and garnish with some torn basil leaves.
If using the avocado dressing, get out your blender or food processor. Add the flesh of the avocado, the lime juice, avocado oil and process until smooth. Add water until you reach the desired consistency. You do not need to add salt and pepper to the dressing if you already added it to the salad. Store any leftovers in an airtight container so that it doesn’t turn brown. Dressing modified from Simply Scratch.
Enjoy!
