Corn Tomato and Avocado Salad: A Quick Summer Side That Actually Holds Up

I started making this one after grilling corn for a barbecue and ending up with three extra ears nobody ate. Cutting the kernels off and mixing them with chopped tomato and avocado turned leftovers into something people asked for the recipe of. This corn tomato avocado salad works on its own, next to grilled fish, or scooped up with tortilla chips if you're not worried about being neat about it.

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups corn kernels (grilled or boiled, then cooled)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preparation

Cut the corn off the cob if you're starting with whole ears; two large ears usually give you close to two cups. Dice the tomatoes and avocado into pieces roughly the same size as the corn kernels, so every spoonful has a bit of each. Chop the red onion fine, since large pieces tend to overpower the rest of the salad. Set the cilantro aside until the last step, or it wilts before serving.

Cooking

If your corn isn't grilled already, boil it for four minutes, then run it under cold water so it stops cooking right away. Skip this step entirely if you're using leftover grilled corn or thawed frozen kernels, which need no heat at all. Let the corn cool fully before adding it to the tomatoes, since warm corn will start softening the avocado too fast.

Serving

Combine the corn, tomato, and avocado in a large bowl, then add the red onion. Pour the lime juice and olive oil over the mixture and toss gently, keeping the avocado pieces mostly intact. Fold in the cilantro last, then season with salt and pepper. Serve within thirty minutes for the best texture, since avocado softens the longer it sits.

Nutritional Value Per One Serving

Nutrition Facts (one serving):

• Calories: 195
• Total Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 140mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 21g
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Sugars: 4g
• Protein: 4g

Tips and Variations

A squeeze of extra lime right before serving fixes a salad that tastes flat, since avocado dulls acidity over time. Black beans stretch this into more of a main dish and add protein without changing the flavor much. Swap the red onion for scallions if raw onion tends to bite too hard for your taste.

Cotija cheese, crumbled over the top, adds salt and a bit of sharpness that plays well against the sweetness of the corn. Jalapeño, seeded and minced, works if you want heat without overwhelming the tomato and avocado.

Conclusion

This corn tomato and avocado salad earns its spot at the table because it's fast, cheap, and forgiving if you swap ingredients around. Good corn and ripe avocado do most of the work here. Everything else is just there to support them.