Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad With Feta Dressing

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad With Feta Dressing
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(4,537)
Notes
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This lively salad of corn, scallions, jalapeño and avocado tossed with a tangy buttermilk-feta dressing is like summer on a plate. The sweetness of peak-summer corn and the richness of creamy avocado balance out the tartness of the dressing. To choose the perfect corn, make sure that the corn husk is bright green and slightly dewy to the touch, and that the silks peeking out at the top are yellow, not browned. Finally, the corn should be heavy for its size: the heavier the corn, the plumper the kernels.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 6ears corn (about 3 pounds), shucked and silk removed
  • 1bunch scallions (about 6), trimmed
  • 1jalapeño, stemmed and halved lengthwise
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 4ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
  • cup buttermilk
  • 1teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1small garlic clove, grated
  • ¼cup sliced fresh chives
  • ¼cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
  • 2avocados, sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

447 calories; 24 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 1083 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high. Brush corn, scallions and jalapeño with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn kernels are browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, and the scallions and jalapeño are charred all over and tender, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, using a whisk, mash the feta into a coarse paste. Whisk in buttermilk, lemon zest and juice and garlic, then stir in chives and parsley. Finely chop the charred jalapeño and stir it into the feta dressing; season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the feta dressing and arrange on a platter. Cut corn kernels off the cob and slice scallions into bite-size pieces. Arrange avocado slices, corn and scallions on top of the lettuce. Serve with remaining dressing.

Ratings

4 out of 5
4,537 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Unless you have a blazing hot grill, the kernels will cook limp as they darken. Haul out your trusty black iron frying pan, the big one, and get it sizzling hot. Cut the kernels off the cob and mix them around with a wooden spoon as they darken. They'll still have a bit of crunch.

This was soooo good! I loved the flavor layers. The dressing alone could play host to endless possibilities. Grilling veg brings out the flavor, don't skip. I think a nice dino kale, in addition to romaine would be even lovelier. Romaine got a little soggy for me, maybe just use the hearts? Such a versatile salad! I added Fregola Sarda pasta on leftovers! When I make this again, I'm going to use kale, watermelon radish, tomatoes, pepitas & a grain. however, on its own totally outta sight.

Amazing recipe! Have made it twice, here are my recommended changes: - ***kale instead of romaine*** (this is a must. I don’t think romanie suits this salad at all) - sub cilantro for parsley for more flavor direction - use greek yogurt instead of buttermilk & add lemon juice

We used goat cheese instead of feta and added fresh basil instead of parsley. Cooked steak tips on the stovetop and added to salad. Spicy, creamy, crunchy and light. Amazing

Save the money on buttermilk and add extra lemon juice (already in the recipe) to regular milk or cream

Double down on the corn by holding the corn upright in a large bowl and scraping the cobs with the back of a knife after cutting off the kernels. Make the dressing in that same bowl with all the corn juice and bits.

As a vegan variant, I used unsweetened soy milk plus a but more salt in the roasting. Agree with the other comment that the grilling is key!

Really, really good! This caught up with me in that very brief period (week or two? in mid-August) when Hatch peppers from New Mexico are available. Brushed one generously with garlicky EVO instead of Jalapeño and grilled it. Also tossed in some farmers market cherry tomatoes. We ate this with Naan also brushed with rest of that oil and heated on the grill. What a superb harvest dinner...

I agree with doubling the dressing just so you have leftovers. I tried with a hatch chili but it wasn't as good as the jalapeno was. Also be sure to use block feta instead of already crumbled feta for a smoother texture. The anti-caking agents can make it a little weird in dressing if you use the already crumbled stuff.

This is delicious. I made it mostly per recipe - I had no buttermilk so added a bit more lemon juice and used regular milk and sour cream. I also used freeze-dried chives because thats all I had. The suggestion to add the romaine separately led me to toss the romaine and chunks of avocado together in a separate bowl, and then pile the warm corn and peppers and scallions on top. I served this with a couple of slabs of blackened mahi mahi since. Impressive and easy after work.

If you have a gas stove, just roast the corn and pepper right over the flame.

This is delicious. I used only 3 ears of corn and 1 large avocado, which was plenty of both. I used an immersion blender on the dressing, stirring in the herbs at the end. About 2 T additional buttermilk and 1 tsp of olive oil were needed to make the dressing fluid. I took this dish to an al fresco dinner; brought the elements in separate containers, shook lettuce and 1/2 dressing in a plastic bag, and assembled the salad on a platter at the picnic table. Everyone loved it.

Double the amount of dressing. Consider only using one or 1.5 avocados. Dill is a good sub for chives. Fresh croutons wild be good, as would toasted pine nuts.

I cheated with Trader Joe's frozen charred kernels and cooked the jalapeno and green onion on a hot pan with high fan/windows open. This dressing is killer and it made for an awesome dinner on a hot, hot summer day.

Lacking a grill, we put corn, onions, and pepper under the broiler, giving corn some extra time to get properly browned. Turned out great with a surprisingly rich flavor.

Great salad! *Substitutions alert* I decided to sub cotija for feta, lime for lemon, and cilantro for herbs (much less) to go with a southwest flavor, and added head of lacinato/dino kale, only 3 large corn cobs (what I had), all with same dressing amount tossed at once. Delicious! Lots of compliments at a BBQ.

Creamy and delicious. Left out kale, added cherry tomatoes because, summer. Turned leftover into a farro salad.

Used leftover charred corn from a dinner party. Also added grilled squash and eggplant. The dressing really pulled it all together.

Good recipe. Made on a weeknight and didn’t have time to “train” the tortillas first. Still turned out pretty good.

Lovely salad. Cheated by buying frozen grilled corn and pre chopped romaine. Dressing was delicious.

Great suggestion from Greg about charring corn kernels on the stovetop - really good results for texture and flavor. My propane was unexpectedly out, so I also set the jalapeño and green onions on a sheet pan under the broiler, worked great. I went with a mix of finely shredded kale per commenters and arugula for the greens, but missed the crunch of romaine - mixed with kale (which does grab the dressing well and gives heft) would be perfect. Otherwise made exactly as written and loved it!

Really delicious. Like many others, I needed to thin out the dressing. So, I added more lemon juice and a touch of champagne vinegar and a touch of honey to balance all the added acidity. Will definitely make this again and again all summer long!

I've been waiting for warm weather again so I can bring this delicious recipe back into rotation! I find the corn & jalapeno take a lot longer to char, but I'm using a grill pan instead of a grill. Made per the recipe and paired with lemon garlic grilled chicken and a baguette. Delivered some to a friend and received this review: "omg 10 stars! This dinner is so good & summery". The dressing keeps at least one overnight in the fridge, so you can rip up and dress fresh romaine the next day.

This salad is life changing. The combo of the corn and the dressing is too good. I used arugula instead of romaine because it’s what I had on hand and it turned out great. The dressing was incredibly thick so I had to thin it out a lot but other than that 10/10.

Fussy. Some interesting ideas that I’ll play with, but a lot of these NYT recipes are more work than they’re worth

Shockingly delicious! Add roasted chickpeas for a nice crunch!

Good tasty recipe, but takes a fair amount of time. I usually forget the avocado and herbs because it’s taken so long. Do not make for a party.

Loved the dressing. No time/capacity to grill today. So I sautéed the corn kernels and scallions in butter at highest heat, very briefly. Salad was still very nice but roasting might add something.

I used chopped kale instead of lettuce, I read the reviews after and thought it was funny everyone else also thought the idea of lettuce in this was gross. I didn’t have chives so just used a ton of green onion. Used a cast iron for the corn and it turned out good. Doubled the dressing to have extra. I think 1 more jalapeño would’ve made it better. Very very good though.

Realized I didn’t have a lemon after I already had committed to the recipe. Worked great with a lime and actually would recommend it!

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