Street Corn Salad

Street Corn Salad

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INGREDIENTS

• 5 ears of fresh corn, corn cut off the cob
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 1/4 -1/2 cup cilantro (depending on flavor preference), finely chopped + more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + more for taste
• 4 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled + more for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a large skillet (I like to use a cast iron one.) on a burner set to high heat. Allow it to heat up for a few minutes, before tossing in the corn and olive oil. Cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until the corn is charred. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this step in batches, because if there's too much corn in the pan it won't char as easily. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, except for the cheese. Stir in the cooled corn until everything is well mixed. Add the cheese and give everything another stir to combine. Garnish the top with additional cilantro and cheese right before serving.

NOTES

• If you don't have fresh corn available, try using canned corn instead. Frozen corn is typically too watery and doesn't hold up as well in this salad, which means it will taste more like mush than a nice crispy, crunchy salad.
• If you can't find Cotija cheese, you can try using feta cheese instead.
• If you don't have sour cream, you can sub in Greek yogurt instead.
• This can easily be doubled or quadrupled for larger gatherings.

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