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This Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad is loaded with fresh summer flavors, salty cheese and the best sweet and spicy citrus dressing.
Summer cookout season officially starts with this weekend and – after one bite of this delicious Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad – you are going to want to make this easy salad all summer long.
This flavorful salad takes full advantage of fresh summer produce including garden fresh tomatoes and sweet corn on the cob.
How do you make Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad?
You’ll start by mixing freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice into a bowl, then add minced fresh garlic, chopped shallots and jalapeño, and thinly sliced red onion, plus cumin, salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for about an hour – the acid from the citrus will ‘deflame’ the vegetables and mellow their sharp flavors before they are added to the salad.
While that mixture sits, lightly sear peeled cobs of corn – either in a hot skillet or on the grill – then cut the kernels off the cob. (See our tutorial here for a super easy method!)
We think this Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad is best made with garden-fresh tomatoes, so try to find perfectly ripe eating tomatoes at your local farmers market or supermarket. (Grape or cherry tomatoes also work well in this salad.) Cut into bite-size pieces.
Next, you’ll make a fantastic dressing from the earlier citrus juice mixture – which is combined with honey and extra virgin olive oil. This creates a sweet and spicy dressing for the Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad that is out of this world.
Combine everything together in a bowl – tomatoes, corn, garlic, shallots, jalapeño, red onion, that killer dressing – plus fresh cilantro and salty cotija cheese on top. Serve with a few lime wedges on the side which can be squeezed over the salad before serving.
This gorgeous, fresh Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad is sure to become one of your summertime favorite salads!
You may also like:
- Avocado Corn and Tomato Salad
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Bacon Pizza
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Bread Pudding
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 medium clove fresh garlic, minced fine (use a garlic press or rasp to get the garlic fine)
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeño pepper
One quarter of a medium red onion, shaved into thin slices
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 fresh ears of corn, husked
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
5–6 cups cubed fresh eating tomatoes of any variety (if using cherry or grape, just cut in half)
1/4 cup Mexican Cotija cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime cut into wedges for garnish, optional
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, shallots, jalapeno, red onion, salt, pepper and cumin. Let sit on your counter for 30-60 minutes to soften the solids.
Heat a cast iron skillet to high and add vegetable oil. Once smoking hot, add corn and spin to coat the ears. Cook to brown each side, about ten minutes. (Use a splatter screen and turn cobs using tongs to brown all sides) Remove to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cob with a sharp knife. Set aside.
Drain the liquid from the bowl with the onions, garlic, etc. into a small bowl and whisk in honey. Save solids.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking the whole time to make the dressing.
In a large bowl, place tomatoes and corn and drizzle on half the dressing. Pour onto a serving platter or wide bowl and top with the red onions and other solids that you drained from the dressing.
Sprinkle the cotija cheese over the top, the chopped cilantro and place the optional lime wedges over the top or sides.
Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.
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Notes
Make this salad with any variety of eating tomatoes, large or small. Look for colorful tasty varieties but avoid tomatoes (plum, roma, etc.) which are better suited for cooking.
I have made this salad several times when cooking Mexican, it always goes down well. I dial back a bit on the quantity of red onion, just a matter of taste. No honey in the cupboard today so maple syrup it was. Worked a treat. Here in the UK you cannot find cotija cheese in the local supermarkets so I have substituted with feta cheese.
So glad you enjoyed the salad Trevor!
The salad was good, though it’s not my favorite Mexican salad. I wasn’t crazy about the dressing or the wilted red onion & other solids that went on top – and actually did not look like the picture. I added avocado because I had so many ripe ones but felt overall, that the salad too too long to make – in other words too much work – and it wasn’t as popular with the family as other Mexican salad recipes I’ve tried.
Thanks for your feedback Melisende. Sounds like you made several changes to the recipe!