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Street Corn Green Salad

This street corn green salad is a fresh and crunchy elote-inspired salad made with romaine, charred corn, black beans, cotija, pepitas, tortilla strips, cilantro, and a creamy lime-chili dressing.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 hearts of romaine chopped
  • 2 cups charred corn (fresh frozen, or canned — see tips below)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • ½ cup roasted pepitas
  • 1 cup tortilla strips (or lightly crushed tortilla chips)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced

For the dressing:

  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder or Tajín
  • 1 small clove garlic finely grated (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Char the corn. If using fresh or frozen corn, sauté it in a hot skillet with a drizzle of oil for 5–7 minutes until lightly charred. Let cool slightly.
  • Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayo, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder (or Tajín), garlic (if using), salt, and pepper until smooth.
  • Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, charred corn, black beans, cotija, roasted pepitas, cilantro, and green onions.
  • Toss. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
  • Finish. Gently fold in the crushed tortilla chips just before serving so they stay crunchy. Sprinkle with extra cotija, cilantro, and a pinch of Tajín if desired, and enjoy!!