Tomato Feta Salad with Charred Corn
Servings 4 - 6
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes (about 4) or 2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces or halved (about 3-4 cups total)
- Kosher salt
- 1-2 ears corn, shucked (about ½-1 cup kernels)*
- 1 clove garlic, grated or pressed***
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8-10 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups)**
- Chopped cilantro, for topping (or use basil or parsley)
- Crumbled blue corn tortilla chips, for topping
- Black pepper
- *If you don’t have a grill, you can do the same thing in a hot skillet or cut the kernels off the cob (or use frozen) and char them in a very hot skillet for a minute. We want the corn to still have a little crunch to it. You could also just keep the fresh corn raw.
- **Crumble the feta into a mix of smaller and larger chunks - you don’t want a super fine crumble.
- ***This adds a delicious raw garlic flavor, but if that’s not something you like, you can replace it with ½-1 cup of thinly sliced scallions or ¼ red onion.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cut or halve 1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes (about 4) or 2 pints cherry tomatoes into bite sized pieces
- Cook and cut the 1-2 ears corn
- Crumble 8-10 oz feta cheese into chunks
- Chop cilantro, for topping
- Whisk together the dressing + add tomatoes and feta
Instructions
- Add tomatoes to a colander or fine mesh sieve set over a plate, sprinkle salt all over (about ½ teaspoon), and use your hands to gently toss to mix. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes - this will help season and boost that tomato flavor.
- Rub the corn with a little oil to coat, place on a hot grill or skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until charred, turning every 2-3 minutes (see recipe note). Transfer to a cutting board to cool off, then slice the kernels off with a knife.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, lime, oil, and salt. Add the tomatoes and feta and toss to coat.
- Transfer the salad to your serving bowl or platter and top with the corn, tortilla chips, cilantro, and black pepper.
Notes
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, replace the feta with 2-3 avocados cut into chunks. Be sure to season them and the salad with some extra salt since you’re taking out the salty feta.
- Replace feta with chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Eat straight out of the fridge or let it come to room temp. Top with more chips, herbs, and a squeeze of lime.
- Serve with whole tortilla chips and scoop the salad onto the chip.
- Serve with any cooked protein.
- Chop it up more finely and use as a salsa.
- Serve it on a bed of quinoa and squeeze extra lime/drizzle with more oil/sprinkle with salt and pepper and add all the toppings.