Mexican Street Salad is the perfect mix of spicy and sweet with a ton of fresh flavor. Megan Hutson from Mama of Whole Littles takes this vegetarian and dairy-free Mexican-style salad up 10 notches with Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes. Her whole family loves the juicy bursts of fruity sweetness in every bite. Read on to find out how to make her Mexican Street Salad.
One day, I found myself with a craving for a Mexican Street Salad. I searched and searched online when a Mexican Corn Salad caught my eye on Pinterest, but it wasn’t the quick, easy and healthy option that I needed. All the recipes I saw were either made with fresh corn on the cob or they were filled with cheese or sour cream. Some even had added sugar – so unnecessary!
I decided to make my own vegetarian, dairy-free Mexican Street Salad! It’s perfect as a dip for chips, topping tacos and nachos, or eating straight from the bowl with a spoon!
It’s true that a little extra sweetness really does make this recipe shine, but the last thing I wanted to do was add sugar. To make sure this recipe got the sweetness it needed, I used my all-time favorite snacking tomatoes: Pure Flavor’s® with Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes. And it’s true – they do have an incredible fruity flavor.
You may look at these little guys and think they’re just another small tomato, but the sweet flavor in these beauties is truly a game changer. In this recipe, the sweet corn and the sweet tomatoes paired with the slightly spicy mayo-based sauce and hint of lime juice… it’s honestly a match made in, well, HEAVEN!
I absolutely love including organic sweet corn and tomatoes in our rotation with meals, not only because they’re super easy and delicious, but because they have several health benefits that I want for my family.
Corn is high in fiber and B vitamins, and it provides essential minerals such as zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese. These little Cloud9® Tomatoes are also high in fiber and an important nutrient called lycopene, as well as Vitamins A and C. Put these two sweet ingredients together and you have a nutrient loaded dish!
Before I start with the directions for this Mexican Street Salad, I have a small confession to make. I have never cooked corn on the cob.
Nope, not going to happen – and I’ll tell you why.
I have memories of my mom serving corn on the cob weekly growing up and it always tasted great, but we had to deal with those pesky corn holders and the corn getting stuck in your teeth…
I may sound crazy, but I’m sure many of you have a meal from your childhood you remember eating regularly that you refuse to cook for your family now. It’s funny how these memories can affect our personal preferences today.
The advantage of not cooking fresh corn on the cobb is that substituting for frozen corn really speeds up the time it takes to make this Mexican Street Salad. Of course, the choice is yours: feel free to make corn on the cobb for this recipe.
Some of my best recipes come from just trying to make a recipe work with the ingredients that I have in my fridge and pantry. That’s a skill that I think many of us have discovered in the past year. I didn’t have any taco seasoning on hand, so I decided on two of my favorite spices for homemade Mexican flavoring: chili powder and cumin (and a pinch of sea salt).
Personally, I need my Mexican food to have red onion and cilantro, so those had to be in this dish too!
To begin making this easy Mexican salad, heat a skillet over medium heat. You will cook the corn for just a few minutes on the stovetop until it’s nice and heated through. If you prefer, you can char the corn on the stove, but we prefer our corn golden! While the corn is heating up, you can prep the rest of your ingredients.
You can prep the Cloud9®Tomatoes by cutting them in half or in quarters. My personal preference is to quarter them. First, I think that it releases more of that sweet fruity flavor and aroma into the dish. Second, it makes the dish safe for babies and toddlers so you can serve this tasty and healthy salad for the whole family to enjoy!
Chop your onion very fine and then mix your sauce ingredients: mayo, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and sea salt. Every time I make Mexican Street Salad, my husband asks me to make extra sauce to use on tacos and other lunches throughout the week!
It’s essentially a chili lime mayo and it has the perfect amount of spiciness to complement the sweet corn and sweet tomatoes. We also like this sauce for dipping, adding to burgers, or even dipping your favorite fresh snacking veggies.
By now, your corn should be done cooking and you are ready to mix everything together, including some freshly chopped cilantro.
I can eat this Mexican Street Salad hot or cold. Honestly, I can’t even tell you which one I prefer because it is just that good, so try it however you like. I promise you’ll love it.
Serve this salad with some tortilla chips, fresh salsa or guacamole to make dinnertime a family fiesta!
For the full Mexican Street Salad, click here.
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