Recipe for Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Feta Dressing is a summer favorite

Now that Memorial Day has passed, grilling season has officially begun. Truth be told, we tend to grill year-round, but once the weather warms up, we grill every night. It’s a nice break from the kitchen to be able to hand some prepped food over to my husband to grill. We eat out on the patio as often as our weather will let us.

What’s your favorite grilled entree? My husband loves a good, juicy burger. I love chicken thighs on the grill – either marinated or dry seasoned. Whatever your main dish is, it’s always fun to have a different salad to accompany it. This week’s recipe is for Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Feta Dressing. Corn on the cob is one of my absolute favorites, perhaps because I’m an Iowa girl. Nothing beats Iowa sweet corn, but we don’t get it here in Kansas. You have to drive north on I-35 for that treat.

Grilling the corn, scallions and jalapeno for this recipe gives all the veggies a nice char, caramelizing the natural sugars and giving the veggies excellent flavor. The dressing is buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, chive, parsley, mashed feta and chopped, charred jalapenos. Think jalapeno buttermilk Ranch with a feta kick: It’s divine.

Assembly of this salad is quick and easy: Arrange the romaine lettuce and toss with half the dressing. Top with corn, scallions and avocado slices: Your fabulous salad is ready to accompany whatever else you put on the grill. Or you could make the salad your entrée.

Enjoy the summertime grilling season.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Feta Dressing

6 ears corn (about 3 pounds) shucked and silk removed

1 bunch scallions (about 6), trimmed

1 jalapeno, stemmed and halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, grated

¼ cup sliced fresh chives

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups)

2 avocados, sliced

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high. Brush corn, scallions and jalapeno with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn kernels are browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, and the scallions and jalapeno are charred all over and tender, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, using a whisk, mash the feta into a coarse paste. Whisk in buttermilk, lemon zest and juice and garlic, then stir in chives and parsley. Finely chop the charred jalapeno and stir it into the feta dressing; season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the feta dressing and arrange on a platter. Cut corn kernels off the cob, and slice scallions into bite-sized pieces. Arrange avocado slices, corn and scallion on top of the lettuce. Serve with remaining dressing.

Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com

This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 1:03 PM.