There’s something about a Mexican-style salad that just speaks to our souls.
Crunchy, fresh, colorful, so customizable, and usually contains grilled corn, which is basically a universal love language.
Let us show you how easy it is to make this Grilled Corn Salad with our (freshly made) Vegan Chipotle Ranch!
This salad is simple, requiring basic (customizable) ingredients and 30 minutes to prepare!
Start by preparing your dressing if you haven’t already (I also include a super simple vinaigrette option in the recipe if you’d rather not whip out your blender).
Next, prep your veggies, roast your sweet potatoes, and grill. that. corn.
Friends, it’s as easy as that. We hope you LOVE this salad. It’s:
Crunchy
Fresh
Customizable
Satisfying
Flavorful
& Seriously delicious
This would make a delicious weeknight side, especially paired with other Mexican-inspired dishes, anything barbecued, or as a main served with your choice of protein (such as Vegan “Barbacoa” for a vegan option, hard-boiled eggs for a vegetarian option, or grilled chicken or fish for a meat option).
Into salads? Be sure to check out our Loaded Kale Salad, Chickpea Caesar Salad, Arugula Salad with Crispy Shallot and Lemon Vinaigrette (a.k.a. our go-to “house salad”), and our Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas!
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating, and tagging a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram! Cheers, friends.
Grilled Corn Salad with Vegan Chipotle Ranch Dressing (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet potato, cubed
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 whole corn cobs
- ~5 cups chopped fresh lettuce (we used a mix of green lettuces, but spinach, kale, or romaine will also work)
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered (or halved if small)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 ripe avocado, cubed (optional)
- Jalapeño (optional)
FOR SERVING
- 1/2 batch Vegan Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- 1/2 cup crushed corn tortilla chips (optional)
Instructions
- If you haven’t prepared dressing, do so now. Alternatively you can dress your salad with a healthy squeeze of lime juice, drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste just before serving.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and add cubed sweet potato to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with a little oil and bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
- In the meantime, heat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, remove the husks from the corn and place directly on the grill. Grill, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides — about 5-8 minutes. Set aside to chill. NOTE: If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, you can also carefully cook these on a gas range over an open flame, turning frequently with tongs until blackened on all sides.
- Let the corn cool to the touch, then carefully slice the corn off the cob with a sharp knife. Set aside.
- Assemble salad on a serving platter by adding lettuce and topping with bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, onion, avocado (optional), jalapeño (optional), sweet potatoes, and grilled corn. Optionally, you can also top with crushed tortilla chips.
- Serve with Vegan Chipotle Ranch Dressing or a generous squeeze of lime juice, drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep stored in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days (store dressing separately for freshness).
JoAnn says
Can I use frozen grilled corn from Trader Joe’s in this salad
Fresh will yield a better flavor/texture, but that will work in a pinch!
Amy says
Delicious! I used the vegan chipotle “Bitchin” sauce to save some time. Definitely will be making this again. :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Amy. Great idea to use that sauce for a quicker option! Thank you for sharing! xo
Laura says
I really really enjoyed this salad and the dressing that goes along with it- great dish to kick off summer!
As I was busy chopping veggies, I was able to air fry the sweet potato and corn cobs for a more hands-off process.
I added an avocado, but since there are so many other ingredients, I didn’t really notice it so I won’t add it the next time to help keep calories lower. I also added in some Trader Joe’s soyrizo which kicked it up a notch imo.
That addition sounds lovely, Laura! Thank you for sharing! xo
Kaitlyn Wileman says
This is now in my rotation of recipes, its great!
I could not find chipotle chilies for the dressing so subbed with powder, I also blended in soft Tofu for extra protein and you could not taste it.
It does make a lot of dressing so I would have extra greens next time.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Kaitlyn! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Deborah says
Another winning recipe! Your site is my “go-to.” Even my non-lentil eating friends loved it. Left out the maple syrup in the Chipotle dressing, as trying to cut back on sugar/sweeteners Will make again and again!
Yay! We’re so glad you and your friends enjoyed it, Deborah. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Anna says
This was a total hit with my guests. A colorful, tasty, solid salad.
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Thanks, Anna!
Lindsay says
This salad is amazing! It’s very filling for dinner, and it comes together so quickly. We didn’t get a grill pan until recently, so we would put corn under the broiler for a few minutes. Works just as well, as long as you watch it.
Yumm! So glad you enjoyed, Lindsay. Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your tips! xo
Jennifer says
This is just wonderful! I made the chipotle dressing which is just amazing. I wasn’t able to roast the corn, but cooked frozen corn was really wonderful too. Thanks so much for all your great recipes. This one is a keeper!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Thank you for the lovely review! xoxo
Katherine says
Loved this recipe! It made a lot of dressing so I put some in an ice cube tray and froze it to thaw weeks later, worked great! Delicious salad.
Smart! Thanks so much for sharing, Katherine! xo
Emily Weiss says
Really solid summer lunch option. Be a good option to take to a BBQ or backyard gathering. I had leftover Chiptole from the black bean soup on this blog (which I adore). Good way to use some of the rest of the can. I don’t have a grill or grill pan so I threw the corn in husk in the over with the sweet potato then de-husked and finished off on the gas range. Worked well. Was pretty fun too! I ended up having to adjust for taste the dressing a lot but I do normally hate raunch so maybe it’s on my palate.
Love your modifications! Thanks for sharing, Emily!
Laura says
Made this tonight and it was really good! Kind of reminded me of a taco salad. I added in black beans to up the protein, used romaine, and blackened the corn on the gas stove burners as directed.
The dressing was good but I couldn’t get it to be “just right,” I always seem to struggle with cashew ranches lacking a certain sharpness or sourness that they get with mayo, in spite of adding more vinegar and lemon juice, but I also appreciate that it’s healthier and it still tasted good (my four year old really liked it!).
Will definitely keep in my recipe collection and make it again! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Laura! On the cashews, we wonder if trying a different brand might help? We’ve noticed some have a stronger flavor than others- perhaps due to sourcing and freshness. Hope that helps!
Hope says
What a great salad! I didn’t feel like using the grill so I just roasted some frozen corn on the same sheet as the sweet potatoes and it came out perfect! I also left out the bell pepper and added some leftover baked tempeh I had. The dressing is absolutely delicious!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Alexandra Sevlie says
WOW!!!
This was incredible!! I made this as a dinner side for my boss and it ended being our main entree with how much we had, lol! I also made the Vegan Chipotle Ranch with it (I added some Siracha to that) and it gave it a nice kick.
Definitely one of my favorite recipes I’ve made so far:)
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Alexandra!
Gordana Rufer says
Wow! This was so delicious! What flavorful salad and so easy to make. I didn’t have any dill for the salad dressing but I didn’t miss it. I will definitely be making the salad and dressing again!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Gordana. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Lisa Peters says
I used a mix of romaine and red leaf lettuce, omitted the avocado and jalapeño, and topped with crushed tortilla chips. Also used the vegan chipotle ranch dressing (minus the dill, which I didn’t have). It was DELICIOUS! What a perfect summer salad full of great flavor!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Michelle says
Made this…hubby said it was the best salad he’s ever had! I forgot to put the red bell pepper in even though I bought it for this!
I made a large amount hoping for leftovers but here were none. I used a combo of romaine and leaf lettuce for the greens and a drizzle of chipotle lime crema on top of the vegan ranch.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Rachel says
Delicious! I made two changes. I used black beans in place of sweet potato, just my own preference. I also didn’t have corn cobs so I roasted frozen corn in a hot, dry, nonstick pan. Everything else was made exactly as described, including the dressing. I prepped everything in different containers so I could just throw it together for lunch the next few days. It came together quickly, was very satisfying and the dressing is wonderful!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Jacquie says
Made this and sprinkled some of your Walnut Taco Meat and black olives on top. Heaven.
Mindy Thompson says
Best salad I have ever had in my life. And I haven’t always been vegan. I ate until I could eat no more. Absolutely amazing. I was worried about the heat in the dressing from the pepper in adobo, but it was actually perfect. Fed it to my kids without complaint. I actually used a can of corn (drained and patted dry), heated a skillet on high and threw the corn on there. My 8 yr old was in the kitchen with me and we had a blast trying to catch all the corn that popped out of the pan. Haha. I can’t wait to share this recipe with my family when we visit for thanksgiving.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Mindy!!
Rachel says
This was so good! Such a brilliant mix of flavours and didn’t take long at all. I loved it! Will definitely be making it again.
Thanks, Rachel!!
Isabella says
Delicious! Made it with the cashew Mexican ranch dressing, and added some chicken breast I roasted in the oven. I made it pretty much Identical to the original recipe, except I didn’t grill the corn on a grill. I boiled it in a skillet and then drained the water, then put it back on the burner and kept it on high for a few minutes turning the corn regularly to get a nice char. All in all delicious meal.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Brooke LaPrade says
The recipe never mentions the sweet potatoes again after giving directions to roast them. It’s easy to figure out but… my husband was confused. Thought you might want to fix that part. :)
Ah! I’ll clarify. Thanks, Brooke!
Tiffany says
This was fabulous!! Made it yesterday. Thank you!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Tiffany.
Trina Young says
I made for a BBQ we went to this afternoon. I doubled the recipe. I had these ingredients on hand. There were lots of compliments, I had to confess I got the recipe from Minimalist Baker! Thank for an easy and fabulous recipe.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Trina!
Jay says
If the lettuce/avocado/dressing is separated from the rest of the recipe can it last longer than 2-3 days?
It can! We have found it to keep for 5-7 days.
Anne says
This looks great! I just bought the grill pan, not sure if it will arrive by Labor Day, would love to make this with some simple barbecue grilled tofu on the side. Would love to enjoy summer fresh vegetables while they are available! I think this would work for casual entertaining too…..
Smart! Love that idea, Anne!