My husband is obsessed with corn – so much that when summer rolls around and sweet ears of corn are in (affordable) abundance, he has requested that I serve it regularly.
So, in the vein of not eating the same thing every night, I have been thinking of great new ways to eat corn. And what better way to serve it than combined with one of my favourite things – kale!
This salad combines chopped, massaged kale and charred corn tossed in Mediterranean spices. Dressing in an easy lemon-based vinaigrette, this salad comes together in about fifteen minutes and just keeps getting better the longer it sits in the fridge!
How to Make Corn & Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
First of all, you need to massage the kale (as in my freekeh kale salad). This helps break the kale down and bit and makes it all more tender.
Add you need to do is add some chopped kale to a salad bowl and drizzle it with a bit of olive oil. Season it generously with salt and then use your hands to massage that vigorously into the leaves. Set the kale aside while we assemble the rest of the salad.
Now it’s time to char the corn! I also do this in my charred corn salad and it’s a super easy and delicious way to enjoy some fresh, sweet corn.
Use a sharp knife to remove the kernels from a couple of ears of corn. Then, add a bit of oil to a skillet (I like using cast iron) and set it over high heat. Once the oil is smoking, add the corn and season it with a pinch of salt.
The corn will char quickly (it’s very quick if you’re using cast iron!) – stir occasionally until there is significant browning on the corn kernels. This should take about 5 minutes.
Once the corn has charred sufficiently, go ahead and remove it from the heat and stir in some za’atar along with a touch of cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano and some chili flakes.
You can then go ahead and add the corn to the bowl with the kale! Take this time to also add in a thinly sliced shallot and a good amount of chopped fresh parsley.
Now all you need to do is quickly make the dressing – which is even simpler than something like my maple lemon vinaigrette.
Add some lemon juice to a small bowl along with some grated garlic, a squeeze of honey and a spoonful of Dijon mustard. Whisking constantly, stream in a bit of olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
Go ahead and pour this dressing over the salad and toss everything to combine. Then, let the dressing sit on the salad (in the fridge or at room temperature) for at least an hour before serving – this allows the kale to tenderise more and lets all of the flavours seep together!
You can even keep the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days – it will just keep getting better!
Kale Corn Salad With Lemon & Za’atar
Ingredients
- 50 g (2⅓ cups) kale torn from stems and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 ears corn shucked and kernels cut from cob
- 1 tbsp za'atar
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
- 20 g (¼ cup) flat-leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add the kale to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Use your hands to vigorously massage the oil into the kale leaves.
- Add 1 tbsp of neutral oil (such as sunflower or avocado) to a large skillet – preferably cast iron – and set over high heat. Once the oil is smoking, add the corn along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels are lightly charred – about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in the za'atar, chili flakes, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard and lemon. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Set aside.
- Add the charred corn, shallot and parsley to the bowl with the kale. Pour over the dressing and season generously with black pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days) before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This corn salad with kale is simple to make and really just keeps getting better the longer it sits. It’s the perfect way to celebrate fresh corn and it’s absolutely delicious to eat.
Are you after a great salad with corn and kale? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
