What could be simpler than having this go to Mexican Street Corn Orzo Salad recipe on hand when you want to enjoy a tasty and filling salad! This salad has it all - sweetness, savory, a bit spicy, fresh ingredients and bacon (oh ya, bacon!)
If you've been lucky enough to have Mexican Corn on the Cob, then you are going to love today's inspired salad that has all that goodness in a bowl with some added fresh ingredients that make a great side dish or main course. You'll love the charred corn, fresh cilantro, avocado, red onion, jalapeno, black beans, orzo pasta, crumbled cheese and bacon (you can never go wrong with bacon right?) tossed with a creamy lime-chili dressing.
Full transparency, I have never had Mexican corn on the cob and I'm even sure where I would find it in town though I will now be on the search. I have, however, seen many Mexican style salads on my Pinterest feed and knew I had to try one. After looking at a few recipes, I decided on these ingredients to get started. I was inspired and did use this dressing recipe from this site.
The flavors in this salad are simply amazing. It makes a great side dish and you could just add some grilled chicken to make it a complete meal. Below I'm sharing some tips to make this.
Tips for making Mexican Street Corn Orzo Salad:
- Char your corn on the grill or in a cast iron skillet (see directions)
- Don't use any Mayo substitute (full fat is best!)
- If not eating salad right away, hold off on adding bacon and avocado (this will keep bacon crisp and avocado from turning brown)
- Use tortilla chips for scooping if desired
Other tasty summer salads to enjoy besides this Mexican Street Corn Orzo Salad:
Hope you are enjoying your summer!!
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Mexican Street Corn Orzo Salad
What could be simpler than having this go to Mexican Street Corn Orzo Salad recipe on hand when you want to enjoy a tasty and filling salad! This salad has it all - sweetness, savory, a bit spicy, fresh ingredients and bacon (oh ya, bacon!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup dry orzo cooked according to directions
- ¾ cup black beans, rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups charred corn*
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup mayo (no substitutes)
- 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (I used medium strength)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To *char the corn, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a large skillet until it is hot.
- Add corn and stir and toss for about 6-10 minutes until slight char occurs - you could also char corn on grill but I haven't tried that method - see notes for a link to help
- In a large bowl combine the cooled orzo, cooled corn, cilantro, red onion, beans, jalapeno and toss
- If eating right away also stir in bacon, avocado and cheese
- In a small food processor mix the mayo, lime juice, zest, cumin, paprika, chili powder and hot sauce
- Pour over salad and stir gently to combine
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
How to char corn on grill can be found here
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 566Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 651mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 7gSugar: 3gProtein: 17g
Nutritional information provided is computer-generated and only an estimate. You may want to do your own research with the ingredients listed if you have concerns about health or specific diets.
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