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Sweet corn salad on plate
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Corn and Arugula Salad with Creamy Ancho Dressing

This easy corn and arugula salad is a spectacular showcase for summer corn. It's sweet, salty, smoky, crunchy and creamy, and it tastes like a lightened-up version of Mexican street corn! You'll need cooked corn kernels for this recipe, which you can either steam, boil or grill (it's a great way to use up leftover corn!). If the corn is really fresh you can even use it raw. If you can’t find ancho chile powder, you can use a standard chili powder blend. Serve the salad as a side dish, or turn it into a main course by topping it with grilled shrimp or chicken. Sometimes I add avocado as well.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: corn salad, sweet corn recipes, sweet corn salad
Servings: 4 -6 people
Author: Nicki Sizemore

Ingredients

Dressing

  • ½ teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad

  • 4 cups cooked corn kernels (about 4 cobs)
  • 3 handfuls baby arugula
  • 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instructions

Make the dressing

  • In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice and grated garlic clove. Whisk in the mayonnaise, ancho chile powder, smoked paprika and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the salad

  • In a large bowl, toss the corn kernels with the arugula, radishes and cilantro. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the feta or cotija cheese and the pumpkin seeds (if using); serve it up!

Notes

Do Ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Tips:
  • This is a great way to use up leftover cooked corn. You could use steamed, boiled or grilled corn. If the corn is really fresh and sweet you can even use it raw! 
  • If you can't find ancho chile powder (which is just ground ancho chilies) you can use a chili powder blend instead (which is a mix of ground chilies with other spices).