Roasted Corn Salad with Queso Fresco sounds fancy but is crazy simple. Whipping up in less than 5 minutes, it makes the perfect side dish. With the exception of the queso fresco, you probably have all the ingredients on hand already.
Before I dive into the recipe, some background…at our favorite Connecticut fair last weekend, I was looking for some healthier options. One food booth makes the most delicious grilled corn. While I love corn, I didn’t want to walk around with it stuck in my teeth for the rest of the day. In addition to their usual grilled ears of corn, they also features a corn salad. The ingredients were listed on the sign:
-grilled corn
-lime juice
-cilantro
-queso fresco
How delicious does that sound?! Truth be told my mother-in-law and I split a giant bowl, then my father-in-law went back for round 2 towards the end of the day. My MIL has made this recipe almost every single day this week, and I had to make my own!
Since corn is no longer in season, I cheated and used a bag frozen roasted corn. The kernels already have that char on them and gives the dish a slow cooked flavor. You could easily use regular frozen corn or even canned if that is what you keep on hand. Just be sure to drain and rinse first. Definitely use fresh lime juice, not the stuff that comes in the lime shaped squeeze container. Adjust the queso fresco to your preference. You may want to use half of a package or even the whole thing. Play around with the ratios to your liking.
This roasted corn salad with queso fresco would be a fabulous side dish with just about anything. I want to whip up a batch of pork carnitas and pile this corn combo on top. (brb drooling)
Roasted Corn Salad with Queso Fresco
- 1 bag frozen roasted corn
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 handful fresh cilantro chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 package queso fresco crumbled
- pinch sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add butter to a sauté pan. Add the corn, a pinch of sea salt and sauté until thawed and heated thru. About 5 minutes.
- Transfer corn to serving bowl. Add juice of one lime, chopped cilantro, crumbled queso fresco and toss to combine. Serve hot, warm, room temp or cold.
