Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado Pesto
When corn is in season, you’re in business with this salad! The Avocado Pesto is a fun, summery alternative to dressing—super creamy, but still incredibly light and bright-tasting. Serve the salad on top of the pesto so that every serving gets a generous spoonful and the corn and tomatoes shine.
The most summery of salads with grilled sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, and a nutty Avocado Pesto.
- 6 ears fresh corn on the cob, shucked and cleaned
- 2 tbsp. grapeseed or canola oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1.5 dry pints mini grape, cherry or heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 c. crumbled Cotija cheese
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- roasted, salted pistachio meats coarsely chopped (portioned from quantity below)
- 1/3 c. roasted, salted pistachio meats divided
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peel and pit removed
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 25-30 fresh basil leaves (about 1 c. firmly packed)
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed orange juice (from about 1/2 an orange or high-quality bottled juice)
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
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Preheat your outdoor grill to high heat (500-550°) and brush each ear of corn all over with the grapeseed or canola oil. Place the ears of corn directly on the hot grill and let cook 2-3 minutes per side until lightly charred in spots. When done, immediately remove the ears of corn from the grill and set aside to cool. (If you'd prefer to roast the corn indoors, see TIP A below.)
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Put the pistachio meats is a small skillet over medium heat and toast until they become lightly browned and fragrant (about 3-5 minutes). Shake the pan often to prevent burning. When done, immediately remove the pan from the heat and transfer half of the toasted pistachio meats to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Coarsely chop the remaining nuts and set aside.
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Add the remaining pesto ingredients (avocado through black pepper) to the blender or food processor with the toasted pistachio meats. Whir until creamy and pesto-like.
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Cut the corn kernels from each of the cobs (see TIP B below) and put them in a large bowl with the diced red onion, halved tomatoes, crumbled Cotija cheese, kosher salt, and chopped pistachios reserved from Step Two. Gently stir to combine. Then add 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of the Avocado Pesto and stir again to coat (you may find that using your hands for this step works best). Keep this initial coating of pesto very light as you'll add more later. When ready to serve, spread the remaining Avocado Pesto in an even layer across the bottom of a large serving platter or bowl. Top with the corn salad leaving a visible perimeter of the pesto around the edge. Spoon and enjoy!
TIP A: If you don't have a grill or you're just not in the grilling mood, the corn can also be roasted under your oven's broiler for the same effect. For this method, I recommend cutting the corn off the cob first (see TIP B below). Then brush 1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil over a large, rimmed baking sheet and use the remaining oil to coat the corn kernels. Spread the kernels in an even layer across the baking sheet and put under your oven's broiler for 2-4 minutes. Watch closely and stir as needed so that the corn cooks evenly and chars in spots.
TIP B: There are two easy methods for cutting corn kernels from the cob. One is to stand the ears of corn on their base and cut down the cob. If using this method, I'll often rest the base of the cob on a small bowl set upside-down in a larger bowl (creating a well) so that the large bowl captures the kernels. The second method is to rest the ears of corn flat on a cutting board and run a knife between the kernels and cob on one side. Then rotate (putting the fresh-cut side down) and slice again. Repeat until all kernels are removed.