If you’re looking for a simple yet insanely delicious and vibrant meal to celebrate the summer with, then this grilled corn and avocado salad is it. Corn and red bell pepper, once grilled, become juicy, sweet and robust. And when paired with the welcome zip of lime juice, a trio of spicy seasonings, fresh parsley and creamy avocado chunks, the grilled veggies transform into this platter full of dynamic and delectable flavors and textures. Fire up those grills, because this grilled corn and avocado salad is one side dish that ought not be pushed aside!
How Do You Grill Corn Well?
Really, there are few things better than perfectly charred and juicy corn cobs fresh off the grill, and so it stands to reason that the key to a successful grilled corn and avocado salad lies in the preparation of the main ingredient.. the grilled corn, of course.
Grilling most vegetables is relatively simple, right? Rub with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and then slap ’em on the grill until beautifully tender and with those signature grills marks indentations. Corn, however, is slightly different. Corn is a cylinder, and so only so much of its surface area will be exposed to the grill at any given time.
Therefore, when the corn is on the grill, be sure to turn and rotate it every couple of minutes or so. That way, you’ll be grilling the entire ear of corn more evenly. However, do be careful not to over turn or rotate the corn – let some of it develop those beautiful grill marks.
You’ll know when the corn is done because the yellow or white cells become juicy and tender, and they also become slightly more transparent in appearance, too. This should take anywhere from 15 – 20 minutes, while the red pepper only takes 5 – 10 minutes on each side.
Lastly, be sure when grilling to close the lid over the corn, if you have a grill hood. This will help insulate the grilled veggies, and ensure that the corn cooks more evenly in that trapped heat. If you don’t have a hood, or your grill is too small to cover the ears of corn, don’t sweat it – just continue with the aforementioned technique of rotating the corn, and your grilled corn will still turn out fine!
Simple seasonings
I wanted to keep the flavor profile of this grilled corn and avocado salad pretty simple; the big flavors of the grilled corn and red pepper, as well as creamy avocado speak for themselves.
Essentially, all you’ll need in order to season this grilled corn and avocado salad is some lime juice and a couple of spicy seasonings, most of which are fairly commonplace.
- Chili powder
- Ground cayenne
- Red pepper flake
- Some sea salt & ground black pepper
Really, that’s all you need. I felt that anything else would detract from the bodacious flavors of the grilled vegetables, rather than add to or highlight them in any meaningful way.
The 3 different types of spicy elements (chili powder, cayenne, and red pepper flakes) each add a different layer of heat that compliments the grilled veggies in this grilled corn and avocado salad without overwhelming tongue-sweltering spiciness.
Cutting grilled corn off the cob
In case you’ve never done it before, I’m going to tell you an easy way to cut corn off the cob, both so you don’t hurt yourself but also so you don’t waste any of that sweet corn meat!
Firstly, let the corn cobs cool down a bit…be patient – let the dang thing cool down for a couple minutes before you start slicing away at it. The grilled corn and avocado salad doesn’t need to be piping hot; it’s tasty served warm or cold.
Next, take the larger end of the corn, and place it on the cutting board. Grab the tip of the corn with the fingertips of one hand, and then, with a decently sharp knife in the other hand, smoothly sheer down the side of the corn until you reach the base. Rotate the corn, and repeat until all of the cob is stripped bare of kernels.
Wait, wait – you’re not done! Take the seemingly “bare” ear of corn, and then turn your knife over to the blunt side. Scrap back and forth all up and down the ear of corn, and you’ll notice that a lot of juicy corn goodness will come off and deposit on to your knife – this is all perfectly edible and super flavorful, and this shed of the corn will help to give your grilled avocado and corn salad an extra kick of corn-y flavor.
More like this grilled corn and avocado salad!
– Roasted Cauliflower & Tahini Salad
– Chickpea & Artichoke Niçoise
If you enjoyed this grilled corn and avocado salad, consider leaving me a comment or recipe rating (clicking on the stars) before you go – it helps me immensely!
Grilled Corn, Pepper & Avocado Salad
Equipment
- Grill
- Baking Sheet
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 large ears white or yellow corn
- 1 red bell pepper, halved and flattened
- Some olive oil
- Some salt
- Some ground black pepper
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Handful fresh parsley, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 large avocado, skin removed, halved and cut into chunks
- Additional salt & ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Begin by shucking 4 ears of yellow or white corn, then rub the ears of corn and the halves of red pepper with some olive oil, until well coated (a couple tablespoons worth). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on a moderately hot grill surface, lowering the grill cover if possible. The red pepper should take about 5 minutes on each side (flatten it a bit to expose more skin to the grill), while the corn should take about 15 – 25 minutes. Make sure to rotate the corn every few minutes to ensure it cooks evenly. You'll know it's done when it has nice brown bits and is beginning to turn more translucent.
- Once the corn and pepper are done, remove them from the grill and let them cool for about 5 minutes or so. Then, roughly chop the red pepper and add it to a large bowl. Next, sheer the kernels of corn off the cob with your knife, from top to bottom. This should yield anywhere from 2 – 3 cups or so. With the back of your knife, scrap the de-kerneled cob to get all the remnant parts of corn you missed the first pass through. Add this also to the large bowl with the pepper.
- Lastly, add to the large bowl the lime zest and juice, the chili powder, ground cayenne, red pepper flakes, avocado chunks, and fresh roughly chopped parsley. Also, season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Fold this all together carefully with a spatula, and then serve right away or store in the fridge for later.
Notes
Nutrition
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
I love fresh corn and the combination of corn and avocado and lime seems so natural. This was good topped on a salad or wrapped in a tortilla with some black beans or as a side to sliced fresh tomatoes. YUM. Thank you Vegan Nephew.