Mexican Street Corn Salad with Cucumber

This easy, spicy Mexican street corn salad with cucumbers is served cold with fresh cilantro and vegan parmesan cheese. The creamy dressing is naturally dairy free, but it can be made vegan with one simple swap.

4.84 from 6 votes
Overhead picture of 3 small plates of mexican street corn salad with cucumber.

Why you’ll love this Mexican street corn salad

Have you seen the recipes for Mexican street corn salad on Pinterest? It’s one of the many things I drool over when I’m pinning, but I’ve never made it. I’m not sure why, but it seems really intimidating – even though it shouldn’t be. So I decided to make a salad instead.

For some reason, I kept putting it off, even though I already had all the ingredients. But, we ended up having tacos one night, so I threw it together at the last minute.

If you like this recipe, you have to try this za’atar cucumber salad, and this creamy corn pasta and these cheddar bay biscuits.

Searching for more dairy free salad recipes? Strawberry poppyseed salad / Tomato salad recipe / Farro salad recipe / Easy macaroni salad / Spicy cucumber salad / Grilled peach salad / BLT pasta salad

A serving platter with corn salad ingredients on it.

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A serving platter of mexican street corn salad with cucumber with dressing poured all over it.

Ingredients & substitutions

  • Cucumbers – I added the cucumbers that I had in the fridge that I needed to use up. It was a great addition to the salad, especially since they don’t overwhelm the flavor of any dish.
  • Dairy free cheese – The cheese for this salad is an normally an aged Mexican version of parmesan called cojita, but we used our favorite dairy free cheese substitute for parmesan and it worked really well. You could easily leave it off, but I think it gives it a little extra umami that completes the salad.
  • Diced green chilies – We used a can of mild diced green chilies, but you could substitute a spicier jalapeño pepper if you want. I was just trying to make it a little more kid friendly. It’s totally up to you. You can also add more chili powder if you want.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

a plate of cold salad with corn, cucumber, cilantro and red onion

The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to make mexican street corn salad

Combine ingredients. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl, except the vegan parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Garnish and serve. When ready to serve, remove from fridge and stir in vegan parmesan cheese. Top with additional cilantro for garnish and serve.

More great Mexican inspired sides: refried black beans / Mexican quinoa / tequila lime chicken with corn salsa / spicy poblano potato corn chowder / dairy free cornbread

Overhead shot of mexican street corn salad on plates with a container of dairy free parmesan shredds next to them.

Frequently asked questions

  • Can we eat sweet corn raw? You could technically eat corn raw, if you wanted. You will get more nutrients from cooked corn and it will be much more easily digested when it is cooked. It’s best for cold salads like this to cook the corn and then chill it.
  • What does elote style mean? Elote is a style of corn which is popular in Mexico, typically served by street vendors. It consists of mayo, chili powder, lime juice, cilantro and cotija cheese sprinkled and slathered on a grilled corn on the cob.
A mexican elote "off the cob" made with cucumbers.

Mexican Street Corn Salad with Cucumbers

4.84 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
This easy Mexican street corn salad with cucumbers is made with frozen corn and cucumbers. It’s served cold with fresh cilantro and vegan parmesan cheese and spicy, canned jalapeños. The creamy dressing is naturally dairy free, but it can be made vegan with one simple swap.

Ingredients

  • 1 16- ounce packages frozen corn (thawed (or equal amounts fresh corn))
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cucumber (seeded and sliced)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or vegan mayo)
  • 1 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoons diced green chilies or jalapeños
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Vegan parmesan cheese (optional for garnish)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients (except the vegan parmesan).
  • Stir to combine. Allow salad to sit for about 30 minute too let flavors develop.
  • Garnish with cheese before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal Carbohydrates: 33g Protein: 5g Fat: 2g Sodium: 340mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 2g Vitamin C: 15mg

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