vegan corn salad with jalapeño cilantro dressing

Jump To Recipe June 18, 2018 by Katie // 19 Comments »

Get ready to fall in love with this vegan Corn Salad with Jalapeño and Cilantro Dressing with cherry tomatoes, red onion and bell pepper. It will totally put you in the mood for easy summer evenings.

Speaking of easy summer evenings, have you ever smelled a field of sweet corn?

Last summer, both girls were gone for the night, and Jase and I decided to drive down the valley to Bristol for dinner. It was a gorgeous evening. Mid-seventies. The crickets were humming. The sun had dipped behind the mountain for the day and the high clouds were pinked by the reflection of the sunset as we drove down the lush green valley. And as we drove by the fields of corn, we could smell the corn. I didn’t even realize what it was at first. Jase had to point it out. Sure enough, you could literally smell the sweet summer corn growing in the field, still hot from the sun.

I never knew you could smell corn like that.

I was thinking of that drive today when I was sitting down to write this post about this corn salad because I am reminded of my summertime self. The mellow version of myself that stops to smell the sweet corn.

Right now, I am not so much that easy breezy girl but more of a big ball of I don’t know what. Since April, I have been cranking out the freelance projects for EatingWell. Including:
• The Ultimate Outdoor Garden Party Menu for Summer Entertaining
• How to Make Mix and Match Kebabs for an Easy Dinner on the Grill
• How to Make a Crudité Bouquet
• How to Meal Prep a Week of Vegan Lunches
• How to Make the Perfect Summer Cheese Board
Then for another client, Cabot Creamery, I developed this Mushroom Frittata, a new Ranch Dressing, a Chef’s Salad and a BLT Burger.

Plus, I had a trip to Florida, a trip to Boston, a trip to Philly and a trip to Iowa all within the span of seven weeks. And also in that time a loved one was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery and is now cancer-free, praise be! I had to step in as a coach for Girls on the Run. I was asked to join a board. Plus there was the whole studio project going on this whole time. Yeah, April, May. I don’t even really remember them. It was a blur.

So, that super chill girl who smells the corn, she hasn’t yet made her appearance around here yet. But I’ll get there. I promise. And summer starts this week! The kids are done school the day after tomorrow, and I am tidying up my editorial calendar so I can take a month off this summer. Summer Katie is coming!

Then I will be ready to put the windows down and enjoy.

But meantime, I am doing my best at enjoying the littler moments, like hearing about the craziness of the last few days of third and fifth grade, watching the seedlings in my garden push up through the soil, and the easy success of this corn salad!

Let’s talk about that shall we? The heat kickin’ off the jalapeño is so dang delish you guys. I like it way better with a whole jalapeño in the dressing, but if you are timid about spice, just use a half of one. And the garlic and cilantro and the cheery acidity of the red wine vinegar- it’s greater than the sum of its parts.

How to Make Corn Salad with Jalapeño Cilantro Dressing

Cumin Seeds: Start with toasted cumin seeds. This may seem like a strange idea, but it makes the dressing taste great because it is roasty and toasty and pungent- much more so than a spoonful of ground cumin would make it.
Add in some garlic: because it makes the world spin. Full stop.
Jalapeño for Heat: Then add some kick in the form of a jalapeño pepper. I just chopped the top off and then put it into the food processor with the blade running. (Same for the garlic.) The blade will chop it in mid air and the results will be a more evenly chopped pepper.
Cook the Corn: I boil the corn by pouring boiling water over it from the kettle. Then simmer it only until it is crisp tender. If you have really great fresh corn (a la corn fields described above) err on the side of under cooking the corn.
Add Contrast, Color and Flavor: add in bell pepper (I like the way orange looks), red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
Make Ahead Tips: If you want to make this corn salad ahead, layer all the ingredients into your bowl and keep the dressing separate. For best results, make the dressing just before using. And either way, I recommend that you do not add the dressing until you are ready to stir it together and serve. If it sits for a while, it will become watery. It will taste awesome still, but serve it with a slotted spoon.