This Mexican street corn salad with chipotle dressing makes such a great BBQ side! It’s spicy, tangy, and super easy to make. Plus, it’s entirely vegan and gluten-free.
What is street corn salad?
Mexican street corn salad is an easy version of Mexican street corn called Elote. Elote is a popular dish sold by Mexican street vendors. Besides, it’s also common at festivals and markets in Mexico. Mexican street corn is boiled or roasted corn on the cob that is served with a spicy mixture of mayonnaise, spices, lime juice, and cheese on top.
So Mexican street corn salad is kind of like an easier take on Elote. The recipe roughly calls for the the same ingredients but everything is served in a bowl as a salad.
What you need for this vegan Mexican street corn salad:
The ingredient list for this Mexican street corn salad is pretty short.
You need:
- corn
- red bell pepper
- lime
- avocado
- cumin
- smoked paprika powder
- vegan mayonnaise
- firm tofu
- fresh cilantro
- chipotle sauce
- salt and pepper
- red pepper flakes
As always, you can find the full ingredient list at the end of this post in a separate, printable recipe box.
Apart from the vegan mayonnaise, you should find all of the ingredients in any supermarket. A lot of grocery stores also carry vegan mayonnaise these days. Check the organic section or the health food section for vegan mayonnaise. If you still can’t find it, you can also make your own vegan mayonnaise. It’s super easy with a good blender or food processor.
How to make Mexican street corn salad:
The recipe for this Mexican street corn salad with avocado couldn’t be much easier. All in all, it comes together in less than 15 minutes. It makes such a great salad for BBQs, picnics, and potlucks. Just perfect for summer!
It’s ready in just five easy steps:
Step 1: Dice the red bell pepper and the avocado. Cut the green onions into rings and roughly chop the fresh cilantro.
Step 2: Combine the corn, the red bell pepper, the green onions, and the avocado in a bowl. If you want to make an authentic Mexican street corn salad, use grilled corn instead of boiled corn. You could also cook it in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. But for a quicker version, I’d recommend boiled corn. Either fresh or frozen. Learn more about how to grill corn cobs on the grill.
Step 3: Combine the vegan mayonnaise, the lime juice, the smoked paprika, the cumin, and the chipotle sauce and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the corn salad.
Step 4: Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro and season the corn salad with red pepper flakes. In a small bowl, crumble the firm tofu with your hands. Stir in the vegan mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Sprinkle the crumbled tofu on top of the salad and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the fridge, but keep in mind that the corn salad won’t keep too long.
This Mexican street corn salad is:
- easy to make
- fresh
- a perfect BBQ side
- healthy
- incredibly delicious
- tangy and spicy while being a bit sweet as well
- vegan
- gluten-free
- creamy
- loaded with flavor
- ready in less than 15 minutes
Can you freeze corn salad?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this Mexican street corn salad. With the avocado and the mayonnaise this salad won’t freeze well. Especially the mayonnaise will change. The ingredients will most likely separate and appear less appetizing. Also the fresh cilantro and the green onions won’t freeze well. So it’s best to enjoy this vegan corn salad fresh.
However, you can easily freeze grilled corn if you decided to use grilled corn for this recipe and have leftovers. Just spread the corn kernels out on a cookie sheet on a single layer and freeze them overnight. Then transfer the corn to a ziploc bag the next day.
Can you make corn salad ahead? And how long does corn salad last?
No, I wouldn’t recommend making this corn salad ahead. It’s best served fresh. I mean it’s okay if you make it a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge but I wouldn’t make it the day before.
If you add the dressing to the salad, it won’t keep very long in the fridge. It can go sour rather quickly, even if it’s in the fridge. So enjoy it while it’s still fresh!
Variations of this Mexican street corn salad:
- add canned black beans for an extra boost of protein
- for a lighter version, use unsweetened coconut or almond yogurt for the dressing
- use frozen corn for a quicker version – either boil or cook it in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- if you love spicy food, add a jalapeño (stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped)
- for am more colorful version, add red bell peppers in different colors (orange, yellow, and red)
I hope you like this Mexican street corn salad as much as we do. Let me know if you give it a try!
If you’re looking for more vegan BBQ sides, check out my roundup of 30 vegan BBQ and grilling recipes. Or what about a Mexican pasta salad with avocado and black beans, or a Italian panzanella salad?
Sina – xx
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
For the Street Corn Salad:
- 5 cups corn kernels either fresh or frozen
- 2 red bell peppers
- 5 green onions
- juice from one lime
- 1 large avocado
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon vegan chipotle sauce
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
For the vegan tofu "cheese":
- 5 oz very firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Dice the red bell pepper and the avocado. Cut the green onions into rings and roughly chop the fresh cilantro.
- Combine the corn, the red bell pepper, the green onions, and the avocado in a large bowl. If you want to make an authentic Mexican street corn salad, use grilled corn instead of boiled corn. You could also cook it in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. But for a quicker version, I'd recommend boiled corn. Either frozen or fresh.
- Combine the vegan mayonnaise, the lime juice, the smoked paprika, the cumin, and the chipotle sauce and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the corn salad.
- Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- In a small bowl, crumble the firm tofu with your hands. Stir in the vegan mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the crumbled tofu on top of the salad and serve immediately.
Nutrition
I made this street corn salad for a BBQ yesterday and it was so good! Thank you for the recipe, Sina! I will definitely make it again.