Southwest salad with grilled corn

For me, the key to a craveable salad is one that has a variety of flavors and textures.

I want a different combination of tastes in every bite.

And so many favorites that I just can’t stop looking for that perfect bite.

Ripe off the vine summer tomato plus avocado?

Perfect.

Warm tortilla strips straight out of the air fryer plus cool green leaf lettuce?

Perfect.

Grilled corn plus creamy cashew dressing?

Perfect again!

That’s what makes this Tex-Mex style southwest salad such a treat for a light-but-filling lunch or dinner.

It is a salad that is a full meal, not a side dish afterthought.

Start by grilling an ear of corn. Shuck the corn and put it right on the grill.

(If you like, you can lightly oil it first. But that’s not really necessary.)

For the best grill marks, I aim the corn to be positioned right over the flames.

Let the corn get some nice grill marks before rolling it to expose a new part of the corn to direct heat.

Keep going until the entire ear has some color on every section. Then take it off the grill.

Let the corn cool a little, so that you don’t burn your fingers.

Then put the ear of corn on its side on a cutting board, and use a knife to cut the kernels from the core.

(Don’t have access to a grill? No problem! I have other options in the notes section of the recipe card.)

Add the grilled corn kernels to a salad bowl with:

• Green leaf lettuce
• Cabbage mix
• Tomato or salsa
• Red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
• Avocado
• Crispy air fryer tortilla strips

To top this southwest salad, I use my longtime favorite, creamy cashew salad dressing.

I have been making this dressing for a million years.

It’s an oil-free dressing that has tons of body by way of raw cashews.

Combined with freshly squeezed lemon, tamari, garlic, and a handful of cilantro, it is right at home in this Tex-Mex style salad.

Amp up the protein in this salad by adding vegan chicken strips, vegan BBQ Soy Curls, black beans, or roasted chickpeas.

Instead of using fresh tomato, add ½ cup of your favorite salsa.

Chipotle garlic salsa from Trader Joe’s is my current favorite. But a fresh pico de gallo would also be really good here.

Instead of grilling corn on the cob, use fresh corn cut straight off the cob.

Or thaw & heat frozen corn. Lots of grocery stores carry frozen corn that was grilled before being cut into kernels. You’ll get a similar look & flavor without any extra work.

For ease, I like to use a shredded cabbage mix that includes carrot. (You can use the rest in vegan coleslaw!) But if you’d prefer to shred cabbage by hand, that works too.

Instead of air frying corn tortillas, grab a couple handfuls of tortilla chips and use those instead. Simply crunch them in your hands before adding them to the bowl.

Add fresh cilantro leaves, shredded cheddar-style vegan cheese, or diced red onion for an extra pop of flavor & color.

Instead of creamy cashew dressing, toss the salad with cilantro chimichurri or vegan ranch dressing.

This southwest salad is great as a full meal in a bowl.

But if you’d prefer to serve it as a side, it pairs well with any of these entrees:

• Veggie fajitas with mushrooms
• Double decker tacos with black & refried beans
• Tempeh tacos
• Vegan burritos with seitan chorizo & tots
• Grilled tofu with lemon & rosemary
• Vegan BBQ sandwich with Soy Curls & coleslaw
• Vegetable sandwich with jalapeño cashew cheese