I’m sure you’ve seen, or at least heard of, the Mexican street vendors—the ones selling hot corn-on-the-cob on a stick? It’s quickly rubbed with mayo, then rolled in Cotija cheese, sprinkled with lime juice, and topped with a bit of chili powder—it’s absolutely wonderful!

It’s a bit more work to put all that goodness into a salad, but since we don’t have a cart with boiling water and accoutrements, “needs must”, as my British aunts always said.

It’s still an easy salad to make, though. Cook the corn, make the dressing, stir to combine. 1-2-3 done! Serve warm, room temperature, or straight from the refrigerator 🙂

Abby’s Elote | Street Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 6-7 medium ears of corn, yielding about 4 cups fresh corn kernels
• ½ cup or more of mayonnaise, depending on taste
• ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Zest of 1 lime
• 4 tablespoons lime juice—usually takes 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS

1. You can pre-cook the ears of corn in whichever way you are most comfortable—boil or microwave.
2. Dry the corn off and remove all the husks and strings, and then char the whole ear over a gas burner.
3. Let cool, then cut the kernels away from the cob
4. OR you can strip the raw corn-on-the-cob of all it’s kernels, heat a large skillet over high heat, add a tablespoon of butter or oil to the skillet, and then sauté all those kernels until cooked through and slightly browned.
5. Once the corn has been cooked and stripped from the cobs, transfer kernels to a medium mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, cotija cheese, cilantro, and salt—taste and adjust as needed. (I like a lot of lime, cilantro, and salt…you might want more chili powder. Make it your own!)
7. Salad can be served warm (my favorite), room temperature (great for picnics or BBQs) or cold (leftovers for lunch the next day!) All three ways work!

Thanks to you—and Abby—for stopping by my kitchen today!