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Peach Avocado Corn Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
Ash Tyrrell

Peach Avocado Corn Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

I made this salad on a whim last weekend, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I had a few peaches sitting on my counter, some leftover corn, and one very ripe avocado, so I decided to toss them together with a quick honey-lime dressing
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Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 ears of fresh corn – fresh corn gives the best crunch and natural sweetness; canned or frozen corn just doesn't compare in texture
  • 2 ripe peaches sliced or diced – pick peaches that are ripe but still firm, since overly soft peaches turn mushy once mixed into the salad
  • ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced – red onion brings a mild, slightly sweet bite without overpowering the other flavors
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped – use both the leaves and tender stems for the most flavor
  • 1 medium jalapeño deseeded and thinly sliced – leave a few seeds in if you like extra heat
  • 1 to 2 large avocados diced – add avocado right before serving so it stays bright and doesn't brown
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice tastes noticeably brighter than bottled juice
  • 3 teaspoons honey – balances the tang of the lime and rounds out the dressing
  • Salt and black pepper to taste – season the salad separately from the dressing for the best flavor balance

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add your shucked corn cobs and cook for about two minutes. Let the corn cool completely before cutting the kernels off, since warm corn can wilt the other ingredients. If you prefer, raw corn works too and skips the cooking step entirely.
  2. While the corn cools, slice your peaches, thinly slice the red onion and jalapeño, and chop the cilantro. Add all of these to a large mixing bowl along with the cooled corn kernels. Keep the pieces roughly the same size so every bite has a nice mix of flavors.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice and honey together until the honey fully dissolves into the juice. Add a few cracks of black pepper to the dressing at this point. This simple three-ingredient dressing is what ties the whole salad together.
  4. Pour the dressing over the corn and peach mixture, then toss everything gently until it's evenly coated. Season with salt to taste and give it one more toss. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes so the flavors can meld.
  5. Right before serving, dice your avocado and either fold it gently into the salad or scatter it over the top of each bowl. Adding it at the last minute keeps it from turning brown or getting mushy. Serve the salad right away while everything is fresh and cold.

Notes

  • I always let my corn cool completely before cutting it, since warm kernels can make the peaches release too much juice
  • I like to taste my peaches before buying them, because a peach that's a little under-ripe holds its shape much better in the salad
  • I've found that squeezing the lime juice fresh really does make a noticeable difference compared to bottled juice
  • I sometimes double the dressing and keep extra on the side, since the salad soaks up a lot of it as it sits
  • I always add the avocado last, right before serving, so it stays fresh and doesn't brown in the bowl