This creamy, bright, sweet and zippy Cumin Corn with Lime Dressing recipe was inspired by a hybrid of two amazing restaurants I went to this past weekend. Cafe Mutton (their season garlic yogurt cucumbers inspire the dressing) and Le Perche (the eggs are inspired by their amazing corn and egg brunch dish). Together, it ended up being a dish that reminds me of Elote (Mexican street corn), but in the best possible way. The corn is toasted in cumin seeds, which brings out a delightfully rich flavor to pair with the zesty and creamy lime dressing. Some of my favorite summer flavors, all in one bowl!
Table of contents
Let’s talk about corn
It’s the most beautiful thing! Ok, we are miles and miles behind the meme – I’M SORRY. But let’s talk about corn in this recipe. It’s lightly charred on a pan with cumin seeds – which yes, I know sourcing cumin seeds might sound like a pain, but it tastes MILES better than ground cumin ever will. Think of cumin seeds as getting a mixture between the spice and a roasted nut. You get both the flavor and aroma of the spice, but a lovely crunch and texture from the whole seed that makes this corn salad wildly unique, even though it only takes a few minutes to make.
And since this corn is charred, you can absolutely make it on the grill first. Just cook it until it’s nearly blackened, then cut off the kernels, and add them to the pan with the cumin seeds. Since they are already cooked, you’ll only need to give everything a quick toss, and your corn will be charred and perfectly ready.
The best way to store this cumin corn salad
I love this recipe for meal prep because you can have an herby, spicy corn salad all week long! As with all things meal prep, I recommend storing each individual component separately and then combining them when you are ready to eat. For this salad, I’d store the corn and herbs in one container, the dressing in a small container or jar, and the eggs and cheese separately, and only add them when you are ready to eat. All of the components will last up to five days.
Also! Egg pro-tip – it’s easiest to peel eggs right after they’ve cooked, but you can peel and store them submerged in water to prevent them from going badly too quickly.
Looking for other corn recipes?
You’ve come to the right place! Summer is for sweet corn, and here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
And that’s everything for this Cumin Corn with Lime Garlic Dressing!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Cumin Corn with Lime Garlic Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 4 medium ears of corn
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium scallion stalks finely sliced, green parts only
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves loosely packed, torn
- 2 small serrano peppers very thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup skyr, yogurt or greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 juicy lime
- 2 garlic cloves finely grated
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese or feta cheese crumbled
- 4 slices toast of choice optional, for plating
- Aleppo pepper flakes optional, for plating
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the eggs and boil for 6-7 minutes. While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath to the side. When the eggs are finished, immediately transfer them to the ice bath.
- Shuck and slice off the kernels from the corn.
- Place a large pan over medium heat (cast iron is preferred) and add the cumin seeds. Toast the seeds for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and releasing little whisps of smokiness.
- Add in the corn and mix. Drizzle in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Ease into a flat layer on the pan and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until the corn is darkly charred. Then agitate the corn and cook another 4-5 minutes, allowing it to get dark spots all over. Season with salt and a few generous cracks of black pepper. Transfer the corn to a large bowl.
- Let the corn cool for a few minutes, then add the scallion, mint and peppers. Season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lime juice and garlic. Add a hefty pinch of salt, mix, taste, and season as needed. It should be salty and tart.
- To serve, pile the corn salad in a bowl or on top of toast. Quarter the eggs and add one egg per serving bowl. Sprinkle with feta or cotija cheese and drizzle with the lime dressing.
- Garnish with Aleppo pepper flakes if using, and enjoy!
This was incredible – didn’t have scallions on hand and made it with parmesan cheese and it was still amazing!
The corn salad was delicious. I served this with an egg over easy and YUM!
So thrilled you liked it!!