Charred Corn Salad
I saw this charred corn salad recipe on Kelsey’s Essentials last weekend (The Cooking Channel) and thought I’d give it a try the next time I put together a BBQ dinner.
The flavors were perfect – summer in a bowl. There are few ingredients going on here, just the corn, some red onion, olive oil, vinegar and seasonings. But corn is a magical thing isn’t it? It’s full of sugar and when it’s freshly shucked that sugar is oozing out of the kernels. This makes the perfect platform for a grilled char and it really doesn’t matter if you put them on an outside grill or do the work inside on your stove top.
The only tip I would suggest if cooking indoors, whether on a gas range or electric, is to use a cast iron grill pan – they’re important for this type of cooking. These pans come with ridges that leave perfect grill marks and most are pre-seasoned so your vegetables won’t stick. I use a square grill pan from The Lodge and I love it, they aren’t very expensive but a good investment to have in any kitchen!
Any tomatoes will work but if you have a chance to pick up some heirloom tomatoes then don’t pass them up. What could be better than charred corn and a mix of heirloom tomatoes with all the rainbow colors of green, orange and red? If they’re not in season I prefer a sweet cherry or grape tomato.
Enjoy!
- 4 ears of freshly shucked corn
- 2 tbsp. olive oil to coat the corn
- 1/4 cup olive oil for dressing
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
- Coat the corn with olive oil and place on a very hot cast iron griddle (or outside grill). Rotate the corn until it is charred on all sides. Remove and cover with plastic wrap until cool.
- Slice the corn off the cob into a glass bowl. Add the onion and tomato.
- In a food processor add the basil and pulse until it begins to break down. Add the garlic and vinegar and then drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
- Blend the dressing with the corn salad and add salt and pepper to taste.
Be the first to comment.