Elote Salad

Today I’m sharing fresh take on Elote, which is a traditional Mexican street food of charred corn on the cob, topped with a creamy mayo sauce, chilis, cotija cheese, lime, and fresh herbs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about digging into sweet corn straight from the cob, but sometimes, you don’t want to deal with all the corn bits stuck in your teeth.. ya know? Enter this recipe for Elote Salad, which features all the classic Elote ingredients, but is made by first removing the corn kernels from the cob and charring them in butter (or oil) before combining with the other ingredients. I’ve also taken the liberty of adding some shredded purple cabbage to the dish, for a little added color + crunch. This recipe is pretty loose, so use what you’ve got / feel free to mix it up! Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Elote Salad

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons butter (or vegetable or olive oil)

  • 5 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed (about 3 cups fresh corn kernels)

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage

  • 1/4 cup feta or Cotija cheese, finely crumbled

  • 1/2 cup finely sliced scallions, green parts only

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

  • 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper, seeded and stemmed, finely chopped

  • 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced on a Microplane grater

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeeze lime juice, plus more to taste

  • Chili powder or hot chili flakes, to taste

PREPARATION

  1. Heat butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add corn kernels, season to taste with salt, toss once or twice, and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes.

  2. Toss corn, stir, and repeat until charred on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Continue tossing and charring until corn is well charred all over, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl.

  3. Add shredded cabbage, cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning (possibly adding more salt, mayo, lime juice, chili flakes, etc) to taste. Serve immediately.